The Culling of the Weak, Part One: Disturbance
by Dark Antiris
Summary: They've met once and they've met again. Katarina becomes too involved in Noxian political fights while Ashe has to deal with mysterious attacks on her tribe. Will the two of them be able to find strength and courage to help each other when they discover someone is pulling strings from the background? Now rated M for slightly adult themes.
1. Prologue and Chapter 1: Consequences

**Author's notes: Yes, another Ashe x Katarina story. I really like this pairing, it's strange and unusual, but they have the best stories. I hope mine will be at least comparably good, though I have noticed, that these stories have certain clichés, so I'll try to avoid them. Those clichés are for example:**

**\- Ashe being abused by her husband Tryndamere – I have reviewed their lores and backstories on both the LoL website and LoL wiki and I haven't found, that they are actually married, so in my story they won't be.**

**\- Swain plotting world domination – I think he is smart enough to realize that he can't go against the rest of Runeterra plus the Institute of War at once. Though he will definitely be plotting something, because he is the ultimate plotter, what will it be might surprise you.**

**\- Katarina teaching Ashe how to fight, or offering to teach her – this is only a way how Ashe could protect herself from her abusive husband, so it will not be necessary.**

**This story will be very long and I will split it into several parts focusing on different champions. It will take years to complete, although I will try to update at least once a month. It will be very complicated and I had it plotted out entirely even before I posted this chapter. To make it authentic and not some weird AU, i have reviewed a lot of League materials and backstories. I might have changed som things, but mostly I used plot gaps and the fact that the events in champion lores are not presented in chronological order, to make it plot-wise. The biggest change to the original story I had to make was to alter the order in which certain several champions join the League (and that one will not join it at all). As the story will unfold, you will certainly find out, which champions have I meant.**

**This is a prologue and chapter one, I wanted to publish them separately, but the prologue was too short. It's a slightly altered version of Ashe's lore, and if you'll be wondering what the other character is doing there, don't worry, you'll find out soon.**

**Also I have one strange rule, I don't publish a chapter until the next one is completed, this is the way I can keep myself from abandoning the story for the sake of my other Works. So, by the time the first of you are reading this (and I hope more than one person will read it) the chapter 2 is already done, waiting in my computer to be uploaded here.**

**It will also contain several pairings (at least six, but I might do some minor last moment changes to add drama) of which not all I ship, but they will be important for the plot.**

**My last note: I am not a native english speaker, so sorry if my english isn't very good. If you see any mistakes, feel free to correct me. So, I wish you a good time and pleasant reading, until I kill off some of your favourite characters.**

Prologue

Some call it a chance, others call it fate. Maybe it's just one thing, for which we made up two different names. How else could you describe the meeting of two souls from the most distinct backgrounds, only with an astronomical odds for reunion, but it still happens?

For example a young and scared girl, fleeing on the back of her horse through the woods, and a shadow watching her from the treetops. Her horse's legs are sinking deep into the snow, and the horses of her pursuers too. She got far from her tribe, too far for anyone to come and help her. Even if she didn't, no one would help her. This land has only one rule: the rule of strength. She thought she was strong enough to rule her tribe, but now it seemed that she wasn't. Despite everything she still clinged to hope, hope that she will run away, that she'll save herself.

Strong wind pulled her cowl and revealed snowy white hair. The girl looked back, she almost noticed a figure hidden on a nearby tree. The enemies were approaching, she saw their drawn swords. She forced the horse to run faster, as fast as it could. She hoped to get rid of them in the woods, so she led her horse towards the mountains, instead of the valley. Soon she found herself surrounded by sharp rocks covered in ice. While running up a hill, the horse slipped and started to run wildly. She tried to calm it down, but the stubborn animal didn't react to its rider. The shadow was still following her. The horse ran towards an obstacle, something, probably a large rock lied in the way. It was the same white colour as its surroundings and the horse noticed it in the last moment. It jumped over, while its rider fell from the sadle.

The girl hit a hard and flat surface and fell down from it, while she pulled down a thick layer of snow from it. She noticed, that the stone formation is probably a crypt or a cairn of some kind. Its top was decorated by a single rune, that the girl could read.

_"Avarosa."_

She put her hand on the rune and the crypt opened. Inside were centuries old remains conserved in frost. The dead woman was buried due to ancient customs – with her jewels and weapons. On top of the body lied something the girl knew only form old fairytales, a beautiful bow crafted from blue ice. She picked it up, marvelled at it, examined it down to the details. Right then her enemies showed up. She thought that they had lost her, but obviously they followed her tracks in the snow. She didn't panic, but firmly grasped the bow and felt its magical power. An icy arrow formed itself in it. The girl pulled the string, aimed at the closest attacker and released. He collapsed onto the ground and a sheen of ice covered his body. Other enemies appeared, the girl was outnumbered, but she killed them all with a volley of frozen arrows. When she was passing by the corpses, one of them clumsily stood up and knocked the bow off of her hands with a strong blow. He grabbed his sword and tried to finish her, but suddenly a throwing knife dug into his neck. The girl looked in the direction from which it came and in the nearby bushes she saw two bright green eyes and a flash of crimson that vanished immediately.

Chapter 1: Consequences

For many it was just a game, maybe a bit barbaric and uncivilized, but still just a game. But not for her, for her it was a fight, a fight for everything, until the very end. Only one could win, and Katarina knew, it's going to be her. She was good at it, in fact, excellent, she was born to win. She looked at her opponent, he was doing way worse than she did, the game took its toll on him.

_"This will be easy,"_ she thought to herself. She took a shot of the infamous Noxian booze and downed it. Then she smacked it onto the table upside down, where another seven were already standing. On the opposite side of the table sat Draven, noxian executioner with a ridiculous moustache. He also picked up a shot and drank it, when his hand found its way to his mouth on the second attempt. The empty glas slipped from his hand and shattered upon hitting the ground. Katarina laughed, he didn't.

"No one beats Draaaaven, bitch!" he barked at her. She kept laughing: "You have no chance, fucker!"

It wasn't a very lucky day for Ashe. She hasn't been summoned since morning, so she spent the entire day with her books, lying in the bed and reading. In the evening she started to crave company, she left her room and wandered the empty hallways of the Insitute of War. The training area was still alive with sounds of clashing weapons, some champions spent entire days training. Others, like for example creatures from Shadow Isles trained during the night and slept during the day, or not at all.

Ashe passed the League's library, which she visited quite often. But not today, the last time she went there she had borrowed enough books for months. Besides, in this hour she would have to go there with a candle, and bringing fire among so many old, dry books and dust definitely wasn't a good idea. Instead she headed to the common area of the Institute. When the dinner time was over, the large dining hall was transformed into a bar and a game room for the champions, where they could spend their free time as they considered best. It was busy when Ashe came in. At a nearby table sat the witches, women interested in dark magic and gossip, who always tried to look like the League's upper class ladies. In the moment there were Morgana, LeBlanc, Zyra and one of Ashe's biggest rivals Lissandra, who had joined the League only recently. Ashe knew that Diana and Elise were also invited to join the group, but they refused it.

The witches were drinking fancy colourful drinks from tall glasses and laughing at some joke. Excapt for Lissandra, who was carefully watching the Frost Archer, and when Ashe was passing their table, the two of them exchanged very cold glares. Champions and summoners from all Runeterra were sitting in the room, in the far corner Noxian general Swain played chess with a high ranking summoner. Close to Ashe a group of Demacians was discussing some tactical matters with prince Jarvan IV, Xin Zhao and Garen. Or at least they tried, because something else caught his attention. The biggest table in the middle of the room was occupied by a group of Noxians. They drank, they revelled and made more noise than everyone else in the room. There were also people from other city-states in the crowd surrounding them, Ashe even recognized two of her allies among them: Braum and Tryndamere.

"What's going on here?" she asked, when she approached them. Just as she stood between them, Katarina sitting at the table turned her head in Ashe's direction and looked her right in the eye. It lasted only for a second, but the archer felt, that it meant something.

"Damn Noxians have a drinking game again," tryndamere responded.

The crowd was shouting and cursing at each other. Ashe was most surprised by seeing Lux among them. An empty bottle lied on the table, someone just brought another one and the game could continue.

"I wanted to bet, but I didn't know on who, so I bet on the one I hate less," said the barbarian.

"So Draven then?" Ashe asked.

"Yeah, that guy is fucking annoying, but at least he's not a moody bitch."

"Watch your mouth," Garen scolded him, "Katarina is a lady from an old and noble house."

Everyone in the League knew, that Garen was madly in love with Katarina and that she ignored him completely outside the Fields. Also everyone knew, that Katarina was interested only in women.

"I am gonna speak as I damn well please!" roared Tryndamere, "and what are you gonna do to me, spin me to death?"

"Stop it," Ashe said to the barbarian, "why don't you and Braum go and take a beer?"

She meant it as a request to leave, and he also took it as one.

"Fine, but bring me my money if I won," he murmured upon leaving.

Ashe suddenly became the only Freljordian among foreigners. Mostly among those, with whom she didn't talk too much outside the League matches. She had no other option, than to stand silently and watch the scene in front of her. There were glasses turned upside down on both sides of the table. The contesting champions could drink from the same ones over and over again, but this was the best way of counting how much each of them drank. Some champions, especially Noxians, could be very agressive, when money was involved. That might be the reason, why Cassiopeia was holding the bets, she didn't need much to deter the others. Ashe decided to bet something herself. After all, a bit of contact with the Noxians couldn't hurt her. She came closer to the serpent woman and spoke: "I want to bet."

Cassiopeia raised her eyebrow, but that was her only reaction to the Freljordian's presence.

"How much?" she asked in a cold, formal voice, most likely reserved for those, who aren't from Noxus.

"One hundred gold, on Katarina," Ashe responded equally formally.

"You seem quite confident in my sister's victory."

"Of course, Draven is barely standing, well, sitting."

The serpent woman chuckled, then quickly hid it with a cough.

"If she wins, you'll get one hundred and fifty back," she said to the archer.

"You haven't bet on her?" Ashe asked interestedly.

"I don't have to, whoever wins, I get the money of the losers."

The exciting duel was coming to an end, both champions were visibly drunk and the crowd crazed with anticipation. Darius saw his brother doing miserably and tried to cheer him: "Come on, bro, don't do the family shame!"

Draven answered something about shame and family packed in a stream of swearwords. Lux responded to that: "Don't listen to him, beat that bitch!"

Then she looked around, if anyone saw her say it and blushed. One of the Noxian summoners did and asked her brother: "Hey, Garen, shouldn't that baby sister of yours already be sleeping?"

Noxians laughed and the Might of Demacia just sadly waved his arm. Meanwhile Draven picked up another shot, spilled a half of it, drank the other one, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and fell face down on the table. This was the end and people understood it. Some were angry, others left richer than they came. Katarina clumsily stood up, looked at Ashe again and slurred: "Hello, ice queen. I'm sure I can make you melt."

Then she smiled dizzily and fell down, knocking down a chair in the process. By the time her sister already gave the winners their money and kept the biggest part for herself. She slithered to the assassin and tried to pick her up, but her serpent body didn't help her with it.

"I'll assist you," Garen shouted enthusiastically.

"No, not you," Cassiopeia hissed, "last time you touched her ass."

So the task was up to Ashe, she grabbed the Noxian's right arm and put it on her shoulder. Cassiopeia did the same with the left arm and together they headed for Katarina's room.

_Katarina was again in Noxus, by the time she was ten. She was standing in a muddy street amidst a backwater part of the city. She was surrounded by another kids, dirty and rugged. They glanced at her as if she was something they had never seen before. She didn't belong in there and she knew it as well as they did. The group of kids had a leader, a boy missing his front teeth, too burly for his age. He was standing right in front of Katarina, piercing her with his gaze. She was piercing him too, they were both showing, that they are not afraid of each other._

_ "__I know her from somewhere," exclaimed one of the boys._

_ "__She's a lady, she lives in a big, fancy palace," said another one._

_ "__No, I don't," Katarina opposed, "I ran away."_

_ "__Why?" the pack's leader asked her. She saw that all of them had the question written all over their faces. Why would anyone exchange a palace for streets? Why would anyone give up what others crave so much?_

_ "__I hate it, I hate when they tell me what to do, what to wear, what to say and what not. And I hate my spoilt whiny sister as well! You are tough kids, you do whatever you want and I want to join you."_

_ "__Let her fight!" yelled one of them. Others supported him._

_ "__Yeah," the oldest boy agreed too, "you're a girl,so you'll be fighting a girl."_

_A girl, that looked like a boy approached her. She had short unkept hair, that had to be quite pale under a layer of dirt. Katarina used to watch her father, when he was practicing Noxian martial arts. She tried to mimic some of his stances and punches while fighting the street girl, but it did not help. She had no chance against the other girl's brute strenght, fueled by her hatred towards Noxian aristocracy. She left Katarina lying on the ground, in the mud with torn clothes, anger and tears._

When Katarina woke up, real hell expected her. Someone has opened her curtains, the bright daylight blinded her, so she jumped out of her bed to close them. Then she realized her terrible headache. She roared and let herself fall back onto the bed.

"Good morning, sssunshine," said her sister, who was watching her from the corner.

"What the fuck do you want, Cass?" Katarina asked.

"Nothing, I just wanted to thank you for your marvelous performance yesterday."

"Cut that bullshit and give me my share."

"Oh, it's already on your table," said Cassiopeia, "and next time, try not to faint in front of four summoners, it might harm your reputation."

"What? Did anything happen?"

"Yes, they gave you a day off for today, they said it's for your own well-being."

"Why are they fucking with my life?" Katarina sighed.

"I don't know, dear sister, maybe you should ask them yourself," Cassiopeia mocked, "and Swain wanted to talk to you."

"What does he want again?"

"Well, he definitely saw you yesterday, so I guess he wants to scold you. He seemed rather impatient when I met him, I had to persuade him not to come here as soon as he woke up."

Katarina raised from the bed, went to her bathroom and poured herself a cup of water. The mere thought of having to listen to the Noxian general's ranting hungover made her despair. Swain cared for her and her sister in a way, he tried hard to support them after their father disappeared years ago. He tried, she had to admit that, though she couldn't get rid of feeling that he just plans to use them in his schemes and discard them. Katarina wanted to ask her sister something more, but in her current state she could not remember what it was.

"He helped you to get me in here?" she asked instead.

"An old man with a limp?" the snake woman laughed, " you're too heavy for that."

"It's muscles," Katarina spat, "it's heavier than fat."

"If you think so. How do you know it was me who carried you all the way here?"

"You wouldn't be so cocky if you didn't believe I owe you."

"You are right, but it wasn't Swain, I had other help."

"Whom?"

"The Frost Archer."

"Ashe?" Katarina wondered, "why would she do it?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. Maybe she was thrilled with the fifty gold you won her, or you have charmed her with you romantic venture," said Cassiopeia and her last sentence was pure mockery.

"Shit, what did I say?"

"So you don't remember?" Cassiopeia laughed again, "what a pity, it was so touching, full of the purest emotions. Hell, if I were her, you would certainly get me."

"Go away, Cass!"

"Yes, I was glad to see you too, sis," Cassiopeia said and slithered out. Instead of her Swain came in and stood into the middle of the room, his raven, Beatrice, eyed Katarina instantly. The general took in the view, the room was a total mess, clothes were scattered all around, lying on bed, drawers and even ground. Knives were lodged in all wooden surfaces and the room smelled like it hasn't been ventilated for several days.

"I heard you had a rough night," he spoke, when he looked directly at Katarina. The bird perched on his shoulder loudly squawked.

"I had, and what?"

"Do you know what Talon was doing, while you were poisoning yourself with the most despicable drink ever made?"

"No, and honestly I don't give a single fuck."

"Maybe you should. He was training, almost all night. Do you know what I am trying to tell you?"

She didn't know, but she didn't want to admit it, so she was just glaring daggers at him.

"Your father was one of my most loyal allies," Swain continued, "it was him, who ensured my acceptance to the High Command. And a lot of time has passed since his disappearance, whether we want to admit it, or not. The High Command will soon proclaim him dead. Despite my influence, I cannot restrain them forever."

Katarina got angry at the mere thought of her father, the fact that it was Swain who spoke of him made her furious.

"Get out!" she yelled at him.

Swain didn't even flinch, instead he just eyed the assassin. Katarina drew a knife form her belt and threw it at the general. The blade dug into the wall missing Swain's right ear by less than an inch.

"I am not even slightly impressed," he stated calmly. Then he walked to her table and hit it with his cane with all strenght. The noise was enough for Katarina to think that her own head wants to kill her.

"Will you listen to me now?" asked Swain.

"No..."

He hit the table again, harder this time. Katarina remained quiet.

"Your father," Swain started again, "was our head assassin, the Blade of Noxus. Soon the generals of High Command will proclaim him dead and the title will pass on someone else. It will be either you or Talon. If it was up to me, I'd give it to you."

"Why?" Katarina asked surprisedly.

"You are much more capable, tactical and inventional. Talon is just a pawn, but if he shows that his skills surpass yours, most of the High Command will stand behind him."

"Don't worry, they don't," said the assassin, "and why do you think it will happen soon?"

"Ever since the League was established, I knew it was only a temporary solution. No Institute can hold so many so different individuals long enough to be considered permanent. Besides, many champions desire only blood of others. Many of us first had to prove themselves worthy as legends of the battlefields, before participating in League matches, we have certain reputation and discipline. But now there are no wars, no new legends to be born and the League has devolved to accept rogue mages and Void creatures to its ranks."

Katarina was just listening and nodding, her brain operating on half of its capacity due to hangover and boredom by the general's speech, which made absolutely no sense to her. Swain was still talking: "The king of Demacia is dying,.."

_"__Well, finally a useful information,"_ Katarina thought.

"...this was confirmed to me by a reliable source directly from his court. His son is a blade-happy idiot, like our mutual adversary, general Darkwill. The Demacians are pulling Jarvan back from the Institute, that's the matter they were discussing yesterday. They want to teach him some more manners and make him a suitable monarch in the short time they have until his father dies, but I am afraid that they will fail. Despite being a champion, Jarvan is not very fond of the League and that is a trait he and Darkwill share. It's only a matter of time, before the peace will be broken and the League will cease to exist. Unless we do something about it."

"Wait," Katarina interrupted him, finally interested and fully focused, she even felt her headache weaken, "_you_ want to preserve the peace?"

"For now, yes, I do," Swain smirked, as he said it, "though Noxus is stronger than any other city-state, maybe except for Demacia, I cannot deny that we're not stronger than all of them combined. And no matter what the High Command says, I don't consider the Zaunites trustworthy allies."

"And what do you want to do?"

"Well, we have two options – seize control over Demacia or seize control over Noxus. From several obvious reason I believe that only the second one is possible without breaking the peace ourselves. I have already devised a plan and I will gladly share it with you. I cannot do so now, but i will be able to explain all the details later, when you are well rested. But for the plan to work, I need you to claim your father's title. Strenght and discipline have always been the defining qualities of Noxians and you will need both to accomplish this task. We must be wary, there's a storm coming to Noxus, which can wipe out everything we know."

"It is? Really?" Katarina asked ironically, "and you have to bother me with it so soon in the morning?"

Swain laughed: "It's almost noon, Katarina."

"Fuck, I haven't eaten since yesterday," she said and then stormed out of her room.


	2. Chapter 2: Past scars and secrets

Chapter 2: Past scars and secrets

_Swain is right,_ Katarina thought. She was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Since she had returned from the dining hall, she tried to sleep, but the sleep was avoiding her. Soon it was replaced with dark thoughts.

_Why is he always right? Why is he always fucking right?_

She stood on her bed and reached for the knives lodged in the ceiling, but they were too far. She needed to stand on the table to take them out. Then she wanted to continue in her "target practice", but the room suddenly seemed too small for her, she had to go out.

It was said that the Institute was built either by a genius or a madman. It was an intricate maze of hallways, secret passages and hiding spots. During her first year in the League, Katarina discovered and explored all of them, then utilized them to stalk champions and summoners. Wandering through the building, the assassin caught a glimpse of the Frost Archer's delicate figure. The queen of Freljord, always so beautiful and regal, was talking to one of her summoners. Katarina sneaked closer and eavesdropped from around a corner. She heard the summoner frenetically speaking: "We've lost a dozen men in the last month. If it carries on like this, we might have to retreat to the White river."

"Send a message to Freljord to reinforce the positions. We must not falter," the queen responded calmly.

"She cannot do this," the summoner pressed on her, "you must remind her that we've declared peace."

"You dare to tell me, what I must do, summoner?" the archer said, her voice commanding and colder than ice.

"I apologize, my queen."

"Are we even certain that the Winter's Claw are behind the raids?"

"Who else could it be? They've always ambushed our supply convoys."

"Yes, but not patrols on the borders of our territories. It's the kind of attacks that worries me, not their frequency..."

The Frost Archer and the summoner moved to a private chamber somewhere in the Freljordian wing of the Institute to continue in their dialogue and Katarina grew too bored with it to follow them. In the times of war it could be an important information to have, but nowadays not anymore.

She stalked several more individuals, lying to herself about doing it to sharpen her abilities and reflexes, and not only out of sheer curiosity. She learnt nothing new or interesting, except for what she heard back in the Noxian wing. It was only a whisper, from a hooded figure of a summoner towards someone, whom the assassin couldn't see clearly enough.

"I am telling you, he's holding you on a tight leash, he's afraid of you. You should be in charge, not him."

The other man gruntled something in response, but Katarina wasn't able to make out the words. Then he slammed the door shut behind him and the assassin had to hide quickly from the summoner coming her way. Then she tried to trail the voices back to find who was the summoner talking to, but there were too many doors on that corridor and the voices could come from any of them.

The assassin suddenly remembered Swain's words and headed to the training area. The room was big enough for at least quarter of the champions to train at once, but it has never been used up to its full capacity. In fact, Katarina couldn't remember that she'd ever seen more than ten there. Now it was almost empty. Training weapons lay still in their racks, army of silent wooden dummies standing in straight lines next to the walls, waiting to be proved in a one-sided battle with Runeterra's greatest warriors. In a way they were a perfect army, not feeling pain or fear, not having the ability to retreat or betray their masters.

The assassin heard sounds of heavy hits from one corner of the room. She came closer and saw a muscular woman with short white hair obliterating a training dummy with a massive broken blade.

"Look who is here," Katarina snarled. Riven twitched and turned after hearing her voice, as if it scared her.

"Guess who is my favourite traitor," the assassin continued spitefully, "definitely not you, because I hate you."

"I am not a traitor," Riven exclaimed, trying not to sound sheepishly.

"Oh, yes, you are," Katarina said in a melodramatic manner, "you betrayed Noxus, but what is much worse, you betrayed me!"

"I did only what I needed to do," Riven responded calmly, "to get away from my past, from all the atrocities and from you,"

Katarina grit her teeth and prepared to spit something crude and offensive to Riven's face, but the Exile stopped her: "I am under the League's protection now. I'm not afraid of you anymore."

"I lo..." the assassin started, but Riven interrupted her again: "Don't say that you loved me, because we both know that's not truth. You may lie to yourself that we had some dreamy romance, but we never did. You only used me."

"I trusted you, and you betrayed me!" the assassin said angrily.

"No, what I did was the best for both of us. You need to get over it. Find someone and be happy with her, more than you ever could be with me."

With this Riven walked away and left Katarina alone in the training room.

The next morning Katarina woke up happy. Well, she would never say that, she could admit she felt quite_ enthusiastic_, but she wouldn't said happy. The reason for her sudden burst of enthusiasm was that her health ban from League matches was over and she was free to vent on beings that could actually feel pain. She would also never say she's a borderline sadist. To be fair with her, she wasn't, but she was also not far from it. For the assassin, killing seemed as natural as breathing. With the threat of death absent in the League matches she could strive for more artistic kills that would cost her a serious injury if performed on real battlefield. Her fearlessness and bloodlust made her one of the most requested assassins in the Institute. It was no wonder that she was summoned in the earliest morning game.

Katarina just annihilated another line of minions with her blades and pushed towards her enemy team's turret. A new minion wave came soon and with it an attack from her mid lane opponent, Akali. Katarina dodged a kama thrown her way a threw a knife in return. It was a hit and the ninja was more vulnerable now. The assassin tried to go after her but Akali vanished in a cloud of smoke. Katarina waited, until her minions go in, then teleported to them and tried to hit her opponent by slicing circularly around her upon appearing. The smoke dissipated and Akali was nowhere to be found. The assassin quickly realized the ninja was behind her. She dodged again and parried the next incoming attack, earning a shallow cut on her arm.

"You are somehow slow today, Noxian," Akali taunted her, "getting distracted by my butt?"

Katarina was used to insults and mockery. Over the years she had to endure it she had grown a thick skin and decided that she's not going to let anyone under it, no matter how kind or friendly would they be.

"No, in fact I've seen much better ones," the assassin retorted, "if you wanted to impress me, you've failed."

"You're a sick pervert!" said the ninja and attacked Katarina with her kamas again.

"Why? Because I fuck women?" the Noxian asked ironically, "dumb Ionians with your stupid traditions."

This made the usually calm and calculating ninja quite angry, she snapped after Katarina violently, unvoluntarilly diving a turret. The assassin took the advantage and earned her first kill with a brutal combo of slashes and stabs. Moments after Akali came back, decided not to let Katarina get on her nerves. The two of them now circled around each other, exchanging minor hits and killing the opposing side's minions. The ninja played tactically, carefully planning every step and waiting for the right moment to strike. It never came, Katarina was stronger after the first kill, she was capable of disposing of minions faster and violently pushed forward through sheer strength of numbers. Akali was forced under her turret, minions swarming on her and her team's jungler helping in the top lane. She had to go all in and strike the assassin with her full force. This strategy paid off, Katarina had to pull back. Her summoner told her to recall, but she refused to, so he called for help to her jungler's summoner. Meanwhile the Noxian kept on killing the minions and gaining more ground while also fencing off Akali's attacks. Then Olaf emerged from the jungle, slowing the Ionian with his axe and setting her running. Katarina told him she'll recall but she ran into the jungle instead. The Berserker dove the enemy turret to finish the ninja, while the assassin moved unnoticed around nest of four strange birds residing on the Rift. When she saw Akali running for safety, she tackled the Ionian to the ground while also driving blade through her stomach.

"Hey! That was my kill!" Olaf roared.

"Really? Because it didn't look like that," Katarina responded before recalling, this time for real.

The game continued in a steady manner, five more kills (two of which she stole) got Katarina ahead of both her and the enemy teams. Mid and top lanes were secured, it was time to gank the bot lane, for the situation was critical there. Ashe and Blitzcrank couldn't handle Caitlyn supported by Sona.

"Finally someone showed up," Ashe said, "I thought you guys forgot about us."

"Calm down, I was busy up there," the assassin responded.

"And what was so important you couldn't help your own team?" the Frost Archer asked.

"I was killing, instead of getting killed, unlike you."

"And now that you're here you could actually do something rather than plain talk."

Ashe was right, their team's turret was falling apart. Katarina slew a minion wave in an attempt to push forward, but then the enemies attacked them hard. Blitzcrank pulled Caitlyn to them, he and Ashe focused on her, but the Noxian went after her support, who healed the Sheriff. Caitlyn managed to get into safety and Katarina killed Sona effortlessly. Then she felt being focused by Caitlyn's ultimate. She ran to the steam golem and jumped behind him, making him the target. They heard a shot and the golem fell down temporarily dead. The assassin teleported back on her summoning platform with one more kill. While she ganked bot, her enemies mobilized themselves, killed three her allies and detroyed two turrets. They were slowly turning tides of the entire match.

Several minutes later, Katarina was doing a 'tactical side push' on bottom lane, but she had to head mid to help her teammates stand their ground against three enemies. She ran through the river, around the dragon's lair, it was the fastest road.

_"__How are they keeping that poor creature sane after killing it over and over again without any explanation?"_ she thought to herself.

When she got there, she found out that Ashe is the only other member of her team alive. The enemies decimated them and they were charging on the two women. After a short skirmish, Ashe and Katarina had no other chance than to retreat, leaving another turret to the other team. They were running alongside, but enemies were catching up on them. In order to save her own life, the assassin tripped the archer. She ran away several steps, then she turned back, because something inside of her urged her to go back and save the white haired Freljordian. She jumped in the middle of the enemies and unleashed her feared Death Lotus, but Sona stunned her and both she and Ashe got killed in a matter of seconds. When Katarina reappeared on the platform, the archer was waiting there for her.

"Hey, What was that?" she asked the assassin, "What were you thinking about?"

The question flooded her mind with more unpleasant memories of her youth.

_"__What are you thinking about?" the girl asked her. After she returned home beaten and dirty one day, her father decided to sign Katarina up for the prestigious Noxian Military Academy. He knew she never was gentle and lady-like like her sister, so her education needed a different approach. She would learn how to fight, how to survive and become a military officer. And of course she would get some discipline, which she lacked utterly. There were only few girls in the Academy, but they had separate dorms, to avoid unpleasanteries._

_ "__Katarina, what are you thiking about?" the other girl asked her again. The redhead was watching her carefully, taking in all of her schoolmate's features._

_ "__You," Katarina responded shyly, "you're kinda cute, you know?"_

_ "__Oh, stop it!" the other girl said amusedly, sitting on her bed, locks of long dark hair falling down on her shoulders, "you're a good friend, Katarina, but this is getting weird."_

_ "__What is weird?" Katarina asked. Five years passed since her fight with the street kids, she grew stronger and more confident within the Academy's walls. Until this day, when she'd ruin everything. She came closer to the girl and sat next to her on her bed. She looked directly in the other girl's eye and asked: "Why is it weird?"_

_ "__I... I don't know," the other girl stuttered, hypnotized by Katarina's emerald gaze. The redhead placed her hand on the girl's knee and started to slowly move it upwards. She closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss her. She suddenly felt the leg under her palm twitched and leapt away from her grasp. Katarina opened her eyes only to see the girl standing in the opposite corner of the room, shocked and screaming: "YOU'RE A FREAK!"_

_ "__What's wrong?" Katarina didn't understand, tears started slowly rolling down her cheeks, "I just like you."_

_ "__GET AWAY FROM ME!" the girl kept on yelling, "YOU'RE DISGUSTING!"_

_Katarina ran away and didn't stop until she reached the farthest corner of the Academy, where nobody would disturb her and where her silent sobbing turned into loud cries. She felt broken, betrayed and more alone than ever before. What did she do wrong?_

When Katarina didn't respond, Ashe got worried. It seemed as if the assassin was stuck in a world of her own thoughts. The archer slightly touched her shoulder asking if everything was alright.

"Yup, I've never felt better," said the redhead after shaking off Ashe's hand, "and we're gonna win this thing."

But they weren't. After the enemies scored an ace, they also took down some more towers and an inhibitor, thus securing the victory. The ten champions then reappeared in the post-game lobby together with their summoners. Ashe was shaking hands with members of her enemy team, saying traditional 'good game' to each of them. She noticed that Katarina was looking very angry, even more than usually. The archer couldn't help herself but wonder what happened. Her team's summoners blamed the loss on Katarina saying that only because of her the enemies scored an ace, and she blamed them back, defending herself with having the most kills from the entire team. But the assassin never allowed the stress from losing to get to her, to Ashe it looked like she was actually mad at herself, not everyone else as usually. The archer was quite upset after the assassin tripped her, but she guessed she had to expect something like that from a woman who liked being called 'sinister'. In fact, Katarina's return and attemp to save her was the confusing part. Ashe saw her bait enemies many times, but she never used a teammate to do it. Besides if that was a plan, it was a horrible one, unlike Katarina's vicious and creative strategies that often worked. And the most confusing thing was that the Noxian appeared hesitant when she came to save her. Ashe came to a very surprising conclusion – maybe the assassin, despite her inhuman cruelty and lack of mercy had a conscience like normal human beings. But now the Noxian just left, without a word that wasn't either an insult or a sarcastic comment. She was showing the world only her harsh face and not letting anyone even think there could be something more underneath, but there definitely was. Today's match was a proof.

Katarina was slowly walking towards the Noxian wing of the Institute, trying to steady herself after the disastrous game. She was slowly breathing in, equally slowly breathing out, breathing in, breathing out, focusing on whatever lied ahead of her. Breathing in, breathing out, trying not to think about that stupid thing she did on the Fields. Breath in, breath out, don't think about that, breath in, breath out, but oh gods it was stupid! What was she even thinking?! Tripping a teammate was one of her usual tricks but feeling bad about it was new. And an insane attempt to save that teammate after tripping them was completely unlike her. Luckily, she didn't have to think about it for long, because she ran into Swain on the way to her room.

"Katarina, may I speak to you for a moment?" he asked, though the tone of his voice was clearly one of a command, rather than a question. She followed him into his room, slamming the door shut behind her.

"I saw the match," he remarked.

"It was a shit, I know."

"I didn't want to say that," Swain sighed, "Katarina, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she spat, "since when do you care about my well-being?"

He didn't answer. Instead he chose to dramatically change the topic: "I promised you that I'll reveal a part of my plan to you, when the time is right. It's now. You know I have always been a man of vision with only the best interests of Noxus in my mind. To progress we must not cling onto traditions like those weak Demacians, but take the reins and create the future ourselves. We are not getting anywhere if we stand on one place, our destiny is a change, a movement in the right direction."

"And you think you're the _destined leader_ to make that movement?" the assassin asked. The general responded positively and started talking about the great future he sees for Noxus: "most foreigners don't think high of Noxians, we are just a filth for them, or beasts they scare their children with. That is our strength, we don't have to fulfill any expectation except for our own. We don't need to pretend we're someone we aren't, we don't have to wear masks concealing our true selves under layers and layers of lies. We are not afraid of who we truly are, that is the real Noxian nature. It's what makes us feared and what makes us great, and also the principle on which I decided to build our future."

"I though you of all people wouldn't be talking about masks!" Katarina said venomously.

It was Swain who told Katarina about her father's secret agenda, shortly after the general disappeared. Marcus Du Couteau always acted as Grand general Darkwill's most loyal ally, even his daughters had no idea he was secretly conspiring behind Darkwill's back. Swain's revelation made many things clear, for example the Du Couteau private army, independent of both the Noxian military and the Crimson Elite. The strategist also explained to Katarina why Darkwill is the true enemy of Noxus, crushing the Noxian spirit with his oppressive methods. After several hours of convincing, Katarina became Swain's co-conspirator in dethroning Boram Darkwill.

They planned everything, down to the tiniest details and when the Grand general's convoy set camp on their way to Kalamanda, Swain and Katarina attacked. Only the two of them killed not only Darkwill but also massacred an entire Crimson Elite platoon with a brutal combo of cold steel and dark magic. Swain was to ascend to power shortly afterwards, but something showed up. The only thing they didn't count on - Dakwill's vengeful son. So at the end they changed nothing. The Noxian society was still slowly falling apart. What Katarina did was the worst form of treason and she definitely felt that way. She couldn't sleep, the terrified face of Boram Darkwill in his last moments haunted her at night.

In days following the assassination Swain was covering all the evidence while Katarina searched for distraction from her nightmares and guilt. She started drinking, even more than before and sought solace in meaningless one night relationships with women whose names she didn't try to remember. But only one distraction worked for her – the League of Legends.

"My plan is to challenge Keiran Darkwill in his attempt to become the next Grand general," Swain interrupted Katarina's train of thoughts, "but too many members of the High Command support him. We need to turn the tides in Noxus and tip the scales in our favor."

"Why should I be helping you?" the assassin asked.

"Well, I think you don't want your father's lifetime work end up in vain," the strategist remarked. She had to admit he was right, as he always was.

"Over the next few weeks, I will send you on several very important missions, each of them must be successful, otherwise my plan will fail. The first one will be easy, I need you to intercept a message, it's about to be delivered to Noxian outpost outside the Institute tommorrow."

"I won't fail," Katarina said and left to prepare for the mission.

**Author's notes: I do not own the picture I posted as the story****'s cover, it****'s a random picture form internet I found suitable because of its colours.**

**There****'s quite accurate description of Darkwill****'s assassination on the LoL wiki, so I think I captured it believably enough. And if you****'re cocerned about Katarina****'s memory from this chapter, don****'t be, it actually happened to me once in a boarding school but I****'ve learnt since then. Some bitches just break your heart.**

**Swain****'s political views presented in this chapter (the thing about change and movement) are in fact my own, I****'****ve always been liberal, now you already might know why. *winks***

**One last thing, I received amazing feedback for my last chapter, so thank you all very much! I hope you enjoy next chapters too!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Newcomer

**Author's notes: Hey, I know it has only been a week since Chapter 2, but I feel like I haven****'t updated in ages. I wonder how those who abandoned their stories must be feeling, or if they can even live with themselves. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 3: The Newcomer

When you ask an average person what does an assassin do, they'll say something like: assassinates, kills or slays people for money. Of course it's one hundred percent correct but there's more to it. The main part of being an assassin is waiting. Waiting for your victim to show up, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. And Katarina was a very skilled assassin, so she was waiting. She was perched on a tree branch about twelve feet above the ground and observing the forest scenery around her.

Everyone knows that the Institute of War was found during an abruptly ended skirmish between Noxus and Demacia and built in the middle of a war road connecting the two city-states. It currently lies in a stripe no-man's land between Noxian and Demacian territory, surrounded by lines of fortifications from East and West, built by the city-states in case the other one would try to attack the Institute. It didn't take Katarina too much to sneak past them, the guards are there to stop large army, they don't notice lone travellers crossing the lines. Besides, hundreds of people come to the Institute every day to watch matches, try to meet their favourite champions, or the bravest of them even try to pass the difficult trials to join the League.

Katarina was gone whole day and nobody notices her absence, Swain told her he'd take care of it. So she spent many hours sitting on the same tree, waiting for her target. Swain told her, to which base will the message be delivered, but he didn't tell when exactly. She just went there earlier and waited, and in the afternoon it finally paid off. Darkwill's messenger was wearing Noxian officer uniform, black with red trimmings. The assassin unsheathed a very small throwing knife with poisoned blade and aimed for the messenger's horse. The man was moving too fast and she only had one shot before he got close enough to spot her and fire his crossbow. The blade hit the horse's side and stuck in it, the animal knocked its rider into the air and terrifiedly ran the direction it came from. Fortunately the poison will kill it before it can get back to Noxus.

Katarina carefully dropped from the tree and approached the messenger, it looked like he hit his right leg pretty badly upon the impact. She kicked the crossbow out of his hands, he drew his sword and attacked her. She easily fenced off his clumsy strike and grabbed his sword arm, then kicked his right knee. The man stumbled, Katarina pulled him back by his arm she was holding and rammed her knee into his stomach. When he fell down to the ground, she quickly slit his throat. Then she took the sealed envelope he had in his bag and dragged the dead body deeper into the woods, where wolves will take care of the remains.

When the summoners finished building the Institute, they realized it would need many employees such as cooks or janitors and also supplying with anything from food to clothes and furniture. But another interesting thing happened – since it was located on territory that belonged to neither Noxus nor Demacia, the area around the Institute basically became a tax-free zone. A lot of skilled craftsmen and merchants from all across Runeterra fled there immediatelly after they found out and a small town quickly grew around the Institute.

Right now, a certain red haired assassin walked her way through the town, taking in its atmosphere. On any other day she would be the center of public attention like all the champions were when they went out, but Katarina had disguised herself for the mission, hiding her long red hair under a hood and masking her well known scar with sunglasses. She also wasn't wearing her usual leather outfit, but loose camo trousers and jacket, best suitable for both hiding in the woods and hand-to-hand combat.

The town was crowded with people, both working and relaxing or having fun. The most outstanding of them were all kinds of priests, belonging to the Solari, Lunari, Cult of Spider or Cult of the Void, the League was home to several most prominent religious leaders of the world. She also noticed a priest she'd never seen before. He wore long dark blue robes and from what he was saying to a small group of people around him she found out that he is associated with someone calling himself 'The Prophet of Chaos'. Some summoners tried to send him away and prevent him from further scaring the people.

"Are you affraid of the dark, summoner?" the priest asked, "because soon you will be."

"What are you babbling about, crazy man?" a confused summoner asked.

"You'll soon find out, for everything will be as the Prophet has forseen," the priest said mysteriously and began slowly walking away. The assassin came closer and noticed Swain started talking to the summoner.

"You shouldn't have sent that man away, we have freedom of religion in this town. Besides, he seemed quite confident in his knowledge of the future, he could have been useful," Swain scolded him, then he turned to Katarina and it looked like he recognized her instantly: "And for you, Sinister Blade, I have been expecting you earlier. Come with me now!"

She followed him silently, she had no other option.

"Give me the message," Swain said when they got into his room, "and feel free to sit down, of course."

"I won't stay long," the assassin said, she took the envelope from her pocket and handed it over to Swain. He carefully broke the seal as if he was afraid he could damage whatever was inside. A small sheet of paper slid out, with only one sentence written in decorative corsive on it.

_Well done, Swain._

_K.D._

Though the general didn't seem moved by the letter, Katarina sensed a strong bubble of rage rapidly building inside of him.

"I need you to leave. Now," he roared. The assassin quickly backed away from the room. Right after the door closed behind her, she heard sounds of things being broken, furniture cracked and a soul shattering screech, like one of those Swain's bird was making, but thousand times louder and more terrifying. She gladly returned to her room, trying to get rid of this troubling memory.

Katarina decided to spend the entire next day training, unless she'd be summoned, which didn't happen. During the day, the large training area was loud and occupied as various champions were spending their free time sharpening their priceless skills. Katarina remained in one corner, relentlessly sparring with a lifeless training dummy, her blades leaving countless marks and scratches in the hard wood. Drops of sweat were slowly running down her face, arms and back. In the next corner she saw an unlikely pair of champions: Draven and Lux. He was juggling his absurdly shaped axes and she was watching him in silent awe, her eyes and mouth spread widely open.

"How can you catch them by the handle when they're spinning?" the Demacian girl asked him with surprise clear in her voice. Maybe way too clear.

"Two words, girl: skill and talent," the executioner said and Katarina almost saw his ego grow, if it was still possible. Those two continued in easy chatter, while the assassin kept beating and slashing the wooden dummy in front of her. She was doing it for hours, repeating the same motions with practiced ease. The exhaustion was slowly getting the worst out of her and her mind began slipping to sad memories.

_"__I don't care that you're a High Command general, your daughter has severely broken the rules of our Academy!"_

_Katarina was sitting with her father in an office belonging to the headmaster of Noxian Military Academy and listening to the old man's yelling about why she had to be expelled._

_ "__She repeatedly abused her fellow students! Such behaviour is unacceptable!" the headmaster continued._

_ "__Cut it, I believe I got the point," the general spoke resolutely. He was remarkably tall and both his hair and eyes were exactly the same colour as Katarina's, a fascinating and unique combination of red and green._

_ "__You don't want to teach and shelter my eldest child. So be it, I won't take that personally, althought I could," he stood from his chair and for a brief moment towered over the headmaster in a threatening manner, "Katarina, come, we're done here."_

_When they were leaving the Academy, the young girl didn't even look back. Instead she asked her father: "What will happen with me now?"_

_ "__I will teach you myself," he responded, "you will not become an officer, but an assassin. Our family has a long tradition in it."_

_ "__So, you abused students," the general said, when they reached the Du Couteau mansion in the upper ring of Noxus._

_ "__Only one, father," Katarina tried to defend herself._

_ "__And what for a coward he was to turn you over instead of solving it more Noxian way?" her father asked._

_ "__She," the redhead responded shyly, "it was a girl, father."_

_The general stopped for a moment and heavily breathed. Then he turned to her, looked her directly in the eye and calmly said: "Fine, I have no problem with that. In many ways you are just like me, and you make me proud. I will accept you the way you are. Just tell me, why did you do it?"_

_Her heart started pounding wildly, she had to think this through, but at the same time she just couldn't. All the feelings whirling in her head were incredibly confusing._

_ "__I think I love her," was her final answer._

_ "__What did you just say?" her father hissed, his face twisted with effort to conceal rage._

_ "__I said I love her," Katarina repeated, this time more confident than before. The general slapped her, his large hand left a red print on her cheek._

_ "__Say that again!" he commanded._

_ "__I love her."_

_Then he slapped her again._

_ "__Say it!"_

_ "__I love her!"_

_Another slap, her cheek hurt like hell and she started to cry. Her father saw she had enough, he grabbed her firmly by her shoulders and told her: "You wanted to feel love, now you feel it. Love is nothing more than pain, whoever will tell you otherwise is a liar. I didn't love your mother when I married her and I don't love her now, our marriage is only a mutually profitable agreement. Do you understand it now?"_

_The redhead slowly nodded._

_ "__Fine, now go to your room, you need some rest."_

Suddenly, all the exhaustion was gone, Katarina felt a rush of energy originating in her anger. She grabbed the wooden dummy's shoulder and started stabbing it over and over again, ripping it apart with her blades.

"I think you can stop now, he's dead," someone spoke behind her. She quickly turned around and saw Ashe standing there, with a small amused smile on her lips.

"What do you want here? The archery targets are over there," the assassin said harshly and pointed to the other side of the room.

"I just wanted to talk to you about our last match together," said the archer, "you surely displayed some very unusual strategies, like tripping you teammate and then coming back to save them."

Strangely, Ashe didn't seem to be upset, more like she was having fun questioning Katarina.

"Forget about it," the assassin growled.

"Why should I?" the archer asked.

"It happened two days ago," Katarina explained, "it's the past. The best thing you can do about your past is to forget about it."

"No," Ashe opposed, " the best thing is to learn from your past. Only then can you use it to become a better person."

"I'm fine with who I am," The assassin grunted visibly annoyed, "and I don't need to change at all!"

"Hey, I didn't come to hurt you, I just want to ask you why you came back for me."

The truth was, Katarina didn't know. It was the first time she hesitated on the Fields. She looked around, trying to find something that could divert Ashe's attention from her. She was so caught talking with the archer she failed to notice all the other champions stopped training and started to chat excitedly.

"What's all the fuss about?" Katarina asked pretending interest.

"You haven't heard it yet?" Ashe asked surprised, "there's a new champion in the League. They say she might be the most powerful mage in the world."

_"__Great,"_ the redhead thought, _"another lunatic with immense power."_

"They are judging her right now," Ashe continued, "I bet it must be amazing, I don't even remember my judgement."

"Do you wanna watch?" the assassin suddenly offered.

"Oh, I'd love to, but the Judgement Tower is sealed right now," Ashe said disappointed.

"I know how to get us in there without being noticed."

"Okay then, I'm looking forward to it."

They went through a secret door hidden behind a statue of a long dead summoner placed in one of the Institute's hallways. Then they sneaked through a passage in the wall leading around hot water pipes, until they found themselves standing on a small balcony looking down at the top room of the Judgement Tower, where the Council of summoner resided and where all the judgements and trials were being held. But what was more surprising than how they got there was that they were not alone there. When they came there, they found LeBlanc standing next to them.

"How did you get here?" Katarina asked the Deceiver.

"You think you're the only one who knows this path?" LeBlanc retorted, "You should be more careful next time you stalk someone."

"You stalk people?" Ashe asked in disbelief.

"Everyone has hobbies," the assassin said and tried to look as innocent as possible, but she failed.

"Have you ever stalked me?" the archer asked sounding very upset.

"No," Katarina lied. She still didn't know what was she doing here. Some time ago, she used to watch the judgements. The summoners always locked the tower before doing one, saying that presence of people who had already undergone a judgement could impair the results. Despite all effort of the summoners, she still used to sneak in and watch. Used to. She didn't do it for a long time and she also wouldn't do it now, if it weren't for Ashe. The redhead got scared when the archer wanted to talk about their match, so she decided to lead her here and then ditch her. But now that LeBlanc saw them, she couldn't.

"How can I trust you now?" Ashe asked again.

"You know what? You cannot, I'm a Noxian," Katarina said angrily, "people don't trust us, isn't that so, LeBlanc?"

"Yes, you're absolutely right," the Deceiver responded, "now, could you two finally be quiet? It has already begun."

In the room below them could be heard loud murmurs of twelve summoners, the High Councilor Vessaria Kolminye, two her deputies and head summoners from nine largest city-states: Demacia, Noxus, Freljord, Ionia, Piltover, Zaun, Bilgewater, Bandle City and Shurima. All twelve sat on one side of a long table, the other side was reserved for prospective champions.

Everyday someone showed up to participate in the League's trials, difficult tests of both physical and mental abilities, that required extensive combat training or magical abilities to pass. Most days none of them passed, but today one did. It was a slender woman in black clothes and with ridiculously large headgear, an Ionian, judging by her features.

"What it your name?" Kolminye asked. Till now, the woman was being tested by lower ranking summoners in lower stories of the tower.

"Syndra," the women responded in dark, spectral voice infused with magic, "and I wish to participate in the League as 'the Dark Sovereign'."

"All right," the High Councilor continued, "are you aware that you currently have a status of a wanted criminal in Ionia and in case you fail your Judgement you'll be arrested and delivered to Ionian justice?"

"I am," the Dark Sovereign said.

"Summoner Arlos," Kolminye addressed one of her deputies, "begin the enchanting."

"I am sorry, High Councilor, but I cannot," the summoner replied, Katarina noticed it was the man who sent the Chaos priest away, "there's a strong disrupting presence within the tower."

Kolminye turned her head up and looked directly at the balcony.

"Katarina, I guessed it would be you," she said, "And I am very happy for you that after three years in the Institute you have finally made some friends, but you can't be here with them."

"They aren't my friends!" the assassin yelled, "they just happened to be here with me."

"We tolerated when you used to watch the Judgements on your own, but I'm affraid three spectators are just too much," the High Councilor continued, "One of you has to leave."

"Don't worry, High Councilor," said the Noxian summoner, Katarina recognized him as the one who used to play chess with Swain. His voice was also somehow familiar, "we can hold the spell steady if we use one more focus crystal."

"I guess we could try it," Kolminye responded, "but only for now. It must not become a custom."

"Thank you, High Councilor," Ashe said, while Katarina and LeBlanc remained silent. She guessed Noxians don't thank.

The summoners started to chant in unison, words of ancient and long forgotten language coming out of their mouths. The observing champions didn't speak the language, yet they were able to understand it very easily. It spoke of a long journey into the deepest, darkest places in your soul in search of the truth about yourself, it left the champions absolutely breathless. Soon the tower's dome started shining with colours yet unseen. The beams of light started forming intricate patterns, later joining into bigger and more complex ones, until they created a full picture. The dark mage, Syndra, was twitching uncontrolably as the magic dug deeper and deeper into her consciousness. The pictures were projecting her earliest memories, growing up in small Ionian village and discovering her abilities, as well as her potential, which showed up to be unlimited.

The one thing Katarina liked about spying on the Judgements was that each time she got to learn a brand new story. Every one of them was unique, completely different from those she saw before. And until this day she had no idea the summoners knew about her visits at all. She kept it a secret, she never told anyone she was doing it, nor did they. It looked like her secretiveness was the only reason they tolerated her.

The patterns on the dome shifted again, dramatically this time, showing not only what the young mage went through, but also mashing it up with how she felt about it. The elders of her village were mostly displeased with her discovery, so they sent her to a remote monastery, where she would learn to master her emotions and powers.

She trained hard under supervision of strict monks and mages, both constantly reminding her that her power are a gift like none other before. It also looked like she was 'gifted' only with raw power of magic, not with ability to understand it and use it in more complex ways. Therefore she stuck to using only primitive spells, such as forming spheres and force waves, while other mages could form swirling streams, force fields or cages.

The pictures skipped to her later years, they showed her wandering across Ionia with two strange men – a dark and masked one and a swordsman with large ponytail. Those two were constantly arguing about what was best for Syndra, but in the end both of them betrayed and abandoned her.

"Well," Kolminye said after the Judgement was over, "I can say I have never met anyone so talented before."

"I agree," spoke the Noxian summoner, "this young woman is a true magical prodigy. The League can be happy to have her."

"Is anyone against accepting Syndra to our ranks?" the High Councilor looked around. Only one hand was raised.

"I have an objection," summoner Arlos exclaimed, "given that this woman is a criminal, you might want to conduct one more trial."

"What do you mean?" Kolminye asked, sounding concerned. Arlos leaned to her and whispered something to her ear.

"That is indeed a good idea," she said, then she looked at the balcony, "you three, come down, we have found something for you to do."

Ashe was the first one to walk down the stairs into the room, followed by LeBlanc and then Katarina, who tried to look as bored as she could. Then the three women sat on chairs next to Syndra.

"We've got a melee champion, an archer and a mage here, what an excellent combination," said one of the summoners. They started chanting again, this time something completely different. It felt very similar to the classic summoning chant, but instead of controlling their bodies, the summoners only projected them into the center of the room. Then they ordered Syndra to fight them. It looked amazing, the projections emitted some inner glow and their movements were very authentic. But it was just a show, they couldn't hurt Syndra as well as she couldn't hurt them. She quickly called upon her powers and scattered the illusions.

"Very impressive," the High Councilor spoke, "although I fear you are too powerful for the League. We need to adjust you abilities to our standards by limiting them, though only slightly."

"What do you mean?" the mage hissed angrily, "wasn't I tortured by sorcerers enough? Why do you want to take my power?"

"Calm down, Syndra," another summoner said, "nobody wants to take away your power, we just need that the others can stand a chance against you."

"I don't care for their inferiority!" the Dark Sovereign roared.

"No one is inferior here," Kolminye said so resolutely even Katarina seemed impressed, "the League is formed of equals and you have to treat them as ones, otherwise you might be just kicked out of the Institute."

After that Syndra finally calmed down and murmured something about not diminishing other unless they cross her way.

"If there are no other objections, I, Vessaria Kolminye, proudly welcome you, Syndra, the Dark Sovereign, into the League of Legends."

The Council slowly dispersed, Syndra was the first one to walk away, LeBlanc caught up with her.

"What you did was just amazing!" the Deceiver said extatically. The Dark Sovereign just nodded.

"Do you know where your room is?" LeBlanc asked.

"No," Syndra replied, "I was told the Ionian champions don't want me among them so I'll be with the factionless ones."

"I will be your guide for today," the Deceiver offered, "I'll show you everything and introduce you to my little group of friends. We call ourselves 'the Witches', you would fit perfectly with us."

When the two mages and all the summoners left, Ashe approached Katarina: "Hey, I just wanted to say thank you."

"For what?" the assassin asked angrily but curiously.

"For taking me here with you," the archer explained, "it was great and it meant a lot to me."

"Whatever," Katarina grunted and left. Ashe just disappointedly sighed and went back to her room.


	4. Chapter 4: Turning the tides

**Author's notes: Sorry it took me so long to update this time, I went on a vacation for four days during the Easter and I wasn't able to write there, I had a lot of distractions, such as my family. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I first planned on releasing several chapters very quickly to somehow "establish" the story and its "fanbase" (yes, I know it's only a very few people, but still more than I hoped for), and this should have been the last of them, so from now on the following chapters will be released less regularly. Till now I've sacrificed a lot of my free time to this story and it was most definitely worth it, but now I want to focus on other, more important things in my life. Thanks for your understanding and enjoy the reading!**

* * *

Chapter 4: Turning the tides

When Katarina woke up, the sun was already shining into her room, though only a little bit of its light could pass through the closed curtains. In the last few days, everything came back to normal. Training, fighting, winning and losing, but mostly winning. She looked around her and realized there's another body in her bed, lying next to her. A slender figure of a young woman, a summoner from the Institute. Naked. A pair of long, pale legs was sticking from beneath Katarina's blanket. The assassin pulled the blanket up until she revealed the summoner's butt. She grinned mischievously and spanked the bare buttcheeks.

"Ouch!" the summoner woke up, then confusedly looked around until she noticed Katarina and realized where exactly she was.

"Good morning," she said with a warm, genuine smile. The assassin didn't respond. Then the summoner tried to snuggle up to Katarina: "I had a great time last night."

"You've got what you came here for," the redhead finally replied, though in a very sharp tone, "you can leave now."

"But I want to cuddle with you!" the other woman exclaimed.

"I don't cuddle," Katarina said.

"You could, just for now."

"I said no, fuck off!"

The summoner got dressed and left Katarina's room on a verge of crying. At the same time, Cassiopeia tried to surprise her sister with a visit.

"Who was that?" she asked when she entered the room.

"I don't know, some summoner," the assassin responded.

"You slept with her, how come you don't know?" the serpent woman didn't understand.

"Because I don't care!" Katarina growled. Her sister just sighed. The room was mess, as everything in Katarina's life. Every relationship the assassin had ended very badly, leaving her depressed and unstable, revelling in bloodshed and pain she caused to others. Yet every time someone new showed in her life, she started to trust her blindly, leaving herself exposed to another betrayal. It was a circle, repeating itself over and over again, with Katarina sinking deeper and deeper into depression and violence every time. Cassiopeia just wanted to protect her, but her sister wasn't letting her. The only thing the serpent woman could do was to watch.

"If you want to say something, just spit it out!" the assassin said.

"I care about you," Cassiopeia spoke, "and I see you're slowly killing yourself. You should do something about your life, I think you won't be able to carry on like this much longer."

"Don't tell me what to do, Cass!"

"Someone should, but who if not me?"

"Leave me alone!" Katarina grunted.

"I know you have a hard life, but look at me," her sister continued, "I used to be the most beautiful woman in Noxus, and now? You just need to let someone into your life. Look around yourself, the world is full of great people, you can just go and pick someone."

The assassin still glared daggers at her.

"Cheer up, sis," Cassiopeia said, "you know what they say? Life's an oyster."

"Yeah, hard and full of slimy shit," Katarina replied.

"I'll leave you now," her sister spoke, "I have a match scheduled in several minutes."

"Fine. Just go!"

* * *

"What do you mean, systematic?" the Frost Archer asked. As a faction leader, her room was much bigger than those of most champions. It was furnitured in simple Freljordian style, with several pieces of the country's art, to remind her of her home. In the center stood massive hardwood table, currently covered in more-or-less detailed maps of different regions of Freljord and surrounded by summoners, whom the queen had called for a strategic briefing. There were three who were her most loyal advisors – an old woman with wrinkled but wise face, a young man with curious eyes and an older man with a beard. There was also fourth summoner on the Freljord queen's council, but he had yet to come.

"I say," the young man stated, "the attacks on our positions are not random, but calculated."

"No," the older one opposed, "the periods between attacks differ, as well as the targets, they attack supply convoys, villages, guard posts. The only thing the attacks have in common is that no one survives them."

"They are crude and barbaric," the woman added, "exactly Sejuani's style."

"No," the young man disagreed, "Sejuani tries what we let her do, she decreases the time periods between her attacks and always takes our supplies. But there were untouched crates of food found on some of the attacks' sites."

"But those attacks still seem perfectly random to me," the old woman said.

"I know," the young man continued, "but what if that was a part of the plan? Just think about it."

"So what you're trying to say is," the older man said after thinking for a while, "that those attacks were calculated to look randomly?"

"Yes. Yes, exactly, finally someone got it!" the young man was ecstatic.

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" the older man exclaimed.

"Boy, you should drink some tea," the old woman said in a maternal voice, "it will help you calm down your thoughts."

"You don't understand!" the younger man yelled, "Someone wants us to think Sejuani is attacking us!"

"Why would anyone do that?" Ashe asked, but she didn't get her answer, because right then the door opened and the fourth summoner came in, his face red as if he was running all the way here.

"My queen, I sincerely apologize for being late," he said after he caught his breath, "I bring grave news. Have you heard about the new champion?"

"Syndra? What about her?" Ashe asked confused.

"She's dangerous," said the frightened summoner, "they should keep her locked with the other freaks."

"She came here voluntarily," the older one remarked, "just like our queen did. And great magical power should be looked at with respect, not disdain, or don't you feel the same way about yours, boy?"

"What news did you want to tell us?" Ashe asked the late summoner.

"Syndra has been seen with the Witches," the man replied, "for what we know, she might be conspiring with Lissandra by now."

"Or they just drink and gossip together," said the old woman.

"I've heard she once fenced off the entire Ionian army," spoke the younger man, his voice filled with fear, "one day she may just snap and destroy us all."

"Nonsense," Ashe said resolutely, "all of your fears are irrational. Syndra is here to escape from warmongering and though she may seem a bit _unstable_, I believe the summoners can keep her in line."

"My queen, how do you know all of this?" the old woman asked.

"I watched her Judgement," Ashe admitted, "the Sinister Blade took me there."

"T-the S-si-sinister Blade?" the youngest summoner panicked, words stuck in his throat, "my queen, you are not planning on allying ourselves with Noxus, are you?"

"No, of course not, I did it in my free time, don't be ridiculous," the queen said. She had to admit this man was getting on her nerves like almost no one else, "or be, if you want, but not on my council. you're dismissed, summoner, the council will continue without you."

The young man was shocked, he turned around and wordlessly left the room.

"So where were we?" Ashe asked to calm down the tense atmosphere, but it didn't work, her council soon devolved to quarrelling over impossible strategies and how to protect from Sejuani or if she has something to do with the attacks at all. Those topics repeated themselves in the conversation until Ashe dispersed the council several hours later.

_"__So much for strategy,"_ she thought. She left her room and headed fot the common area. While still in the Freljordian wing, she ran into the Winter's Wrath.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sejuani asked angrily.

"And what should that be?" Ashe tried to remain polite.

"It was you who declared the peace, when you came to the Institute on your knees begging for protection for your feeble tribesmen, and now you dare to attack me?" Sejuani accused her.

"What?" the archer asked confused, "It was you who attacked me!"

"I would never break the peace!" the boar-rider yelled, "I have my honour, unlike you."

Sejuani spat on the floor in front of Ashe to insult her. The Frost Archer just ignored it and walked away while the Winter's Wrath was yelling curses her way.

The common area was crowded, as it was every evening. Small groups of champions and summoners filled the room to enjoy drink and the company of others. Katarina was sitting at the bar alone, her expression was a mix of anger, disappiontment and hopelessness. Ashe knew that expressions, many champions had it after lost games, it meant something like: 'Damn, I was so good, but my team was just so bad!'

The archer noticed none of her allies or close friends was here, so she approached the red haired Noxian, who just finished another drink.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Ashe asked the assassin.

"Drinking," Katariny dryly remarked.

"Alone?"

"Yeah, I'm not a person others would call 'friend'."

Ashe suddenly got sad for Katarina, it was sad after all. The archer believed everyone should have friends, someone to trust, to share their thoughts, fears and joys with. It looked like the assassin shared them with a bottle.

"May I sit to you?"

"I guess I can't stop you," Katarina grunted.

"A hard game?" Ashe asked friendly.

"Yeah, I can tell those idiots not to dive while going after much more fed enemies, but they just won't listen! And when I try to talk to them after the game, they can threaten me with detention!"

"That sounds really badly," Ashe said in a compassionate tone. She wasn't very aggressive on the Fields, but she understood Katarina's style and knew what unnerved the assassin.

"What do you want now?" the redhead asked venomously.

"Nothing at all," Ashe answered passively, "and what do _you_ want?"

Katarina had to think, she didn't know how to answer that question. She didn't know and she hated it.

"What are you drinking?" the archer interrupter her thoughts, only to Katarina's relief.

"Something I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to try," the redhead said and smirked viciously, hoping to provoke Ashe.

"I think you're right," the Freljordian said, "I'll rather stick to white wine."

"You're such a lightweight," Katarina remarked when Ashe ordered her drink. They just sat there quietly for a while, sipping their drinks slowly. Somewhere behind them a fight broke out. It started with Olaf and Tryndamere, mocking and taunting each other, insulting each other's tribe and ancestors in old Freljordian fashion. More champions, such as Darius or Renekton joined them, scaring others, turning tables over and spilling drinks all over the floor. Leona, Kayle and Garen intervened to stop the fight, but it only got worse. Fights were quite common in the League, given that many champions were enemies and none of them were used to disrespect.

A chair flew over Katarina's head, crashed into the wall behind the bar and shattered many bottles of precious colourful liquors. The assassin ignored it, she picked the bottle standing in front of her and poured herself another shot.

"You can have friends," Ashe spoke when she thought she had been quiet long enough, "you just have to try."

Katarina didn't say a word. She wondered why the archer behaved that way, why was she so intrusive. Yes, intrusive, it was a word Katarina used when someone was friendly to her without any obvious reason, because she sure as hell didn't give anyone a reason to be nice to her. She also didn't believe people could be friendly without wanting anything in return, it completely contradicted the Noxian way of living: don't give, only take. So when she didn't want anything, she sent those people away, and that's something much easier done when you call them intrusive, rather than friendly.

"Katarina? Are you listening to me?" Ashe asked again.

"Do you wanna fuck me?" the assassin returned the question, her voice full of spite and anger.

"What? No!" Ashe said with embarrassment.

"Then leave me be already!" Katarina growled, turned around and walked away. She didn't even wait for Ashe to say something.

Earlier that day, Swain had sent her a message saying to visit him late in the evening. It surely wasn't that late yet, but she had nothing better to do, so she came sooner than she should. She approached the door to his room and tried to push the doorknob, but the door was locked. It was unusual in the Institute, it was believed all the champions knew how to take care of their own privacy and they would punish any intruders on their own.

"Just a moment," the Noxian general called from the inside, his voice sounded like he had troubles catching breath or he was in a hurry. Katarina pressed her ear on the door, but the only thing she could hear was some strange, clattering noise.

Then the general opened the door and Katarina came in. She smelled a gentle, elusive scent of perfume and there was an opened bottle of Ionian red wine standing on the table. This, combined with the general's weird behaviour led the assassin to only one conclusion: "Swain, did you have a lady visit in here?"

"No, of course not, don't be ridiculous!" he replied to her snarky question. Katarina walked over to the table, picked up the wine bottle and examined it.

"It's very expensive brand," she said, "and also a year. How did you get it?"

"My men obtained several crates during our failed invasion to Ionia," he admitted, "and though we lost the war, it still had some benefits."

"So this is what our troops laid their lives for?" the assassin asked jokingly.

"Just take a sip and tell me it's not worth dying for," Swain responded. She told him she isn't much of a wine person and asked him why he invited her.

"I have a new mission for you, Katarina," the general spoke, "last time we were tricked, but not this time."

"Why don't we kill Darkwill openly?" Katarina suggested, "Like we killed his father."

"If it only was so easy, I'd do it a long time ago," Swain replied, "I don't think it's possible right now. He knows we are up to something, so he is hiding. Presumably in the sewer system beneath Noxus. I've sent my scouts down there months ago, but they weren't able to find him yet and there is no complete map of the underground. If we want to kill Darkwill, we have to lure him out first."

"Do you have any plan?" the assassin asked curiously.

"Of course I have. The original one," the general responded, "once you make the first step, you reach the point of no return, you cannot change your plan, there's only one path to victory. And we made our first step long time ago."

"I thought your original plan failed when you got the message," Katarina said confusedly.

"I thought so as well," he admitted, "but then I consulted someone and with a little insight from this person I found a way to advance my plan without altering it."

Swain explained he got an intel from one of his countless spies in Noxus. It said Darkwill was preparing for the possibility of facing Swain in direct combat, so he sent a man from his inner circle to watch all of Swain's matches in the League, to observe the general and exploit his weaknesses. Fortunately, Swain had another one scheduled the next afternoon, Katarina was supposed to identify Darkwill's agent, follow him after the match and then interrogate him in a _Noxian_ way.

The match was going well for Swain's team, he proved his dominance in the mid lane and Nasus in the top. Fizz and Diana were forced to play defensively, only the bottom lane was offering serious resistance. With one support dead and the other one recalling, Ashe was dueling Tristana, using her height as an advantage. She hit the yordle pretty badly, Tristana ran way back behind her turret to get from Ashe's reach and recall. The archer didn't follow her but used her brief absence to kill a minion wave, then fired her giant ice arrow at Tristana before the yordle could finish recalling. Ashe's minions swarmed under the enemy turret and kept it busy, so she could harmlessly run under it and swiftly kill her opponent.

Katarina was sitting in Observation hall, large building situated next to the Institute, where people from the town gathered to watch matches. It was uncommon for a champion to watch the match from here, they had their own observation room in the Institute. The assassin was scanning the audience for a sign of her potential target. The game was getting bloodier every minute, it looked like Ashe's team caught second breath. They slain the dragon for the second time and used the boost to gain some ground in the mid lane. They pushed forward and destroyed two turrets, but then the enemies swarmed on them.

Swain's team waited until their enemies fought their way under the inhibitor turret, then they attacked from the jungle. Nasus was the tank, he went first and let the enemies deplete their abilities on him, then Swain unleashed hell among the enemies with his ultimate. Some tried to get to safety, but jungler Kha'zix ran them down, no one managed to escape. Divide and conquer, Swain's most favourite strategy, fast and efficient. Though this time it didn't work as planned. The Frost Archer remained standing on one spot, though nothing was holding her there. She kept on damaging the dented turret while two of her enemies were coming for her. The tower finally crumbled and fell down, Ashe used her ultimate to stun Nasus, it was one on one now. She attempted to flash to safety, but then talons erupting from the ground caught her feet. The Noxian was coming closer, Ashe used her arrows to slow him, but that couldn't stop him. Swain turned into his bird form, Ashe tried to run away, when the talons released her, but a whirling flock of ravens clouded her vision. She stumbled and fell, the general towered over her, he let out a vicious screech. Katarina had to avert her gaze, for some unknown reason she couldn't watch what followed.

_"__Ace!"_

Looking at the crowds again, the assassin spotted a man, writing something in his diary. It wasn't unusual, reports from the League were valued highly all over Runeterra, but Katarina remembered his face from somewhere. It took her a while but she realized he is a lower officer of the Noxian High Command. This also meant he was the man she was looking for.

The match has come to an end. By destroying the turret, Ashe inspired her team to one last act of resistance. It didn't help, they were doomed anyway. After the match, Katarina followed the man. She was disguised again, but differently this time. To blend with the crowd, she opted for a dark wig and commoner clothing.

There was some kind of festival or a fair in the town today, it was more crowded than usually. Pubs were selling a lot of beer and almost half of the people Katarina met smelled of alcohol. She passed around the Institute's building and saw someone shitting in the corner.

_"__So much for a nice evening,"_ she thought. Beside other things she noticed the Chaos priest had returned, the crowd around him several times as big as before.

"Behold the lies!" he exclaimed, "they surround you, create your world and blind you! But one day you'll be free, you'll see the truth!"

"As the Prophet has foreseen!" the crowd cheered in unison.

Katarina stalked the agent through countless narrow streets winding around the town, hiding behind corners whenever she thought he might look back. The man also bought a beer, she hid in small group of people and watched him drink it. He was taking his time, enjoying it and drinking in small sips. Then he continued on his way, with each step coming closer to the forest. Now she thought she should wear her camo clothes, but it was too late to regret. Darkwill's agent soon crossed the fortified line and ventured deeper into the woods, until he reached a large clearing. He sat down on the ground and waited. Still unseen, Katarina began circling around him, scanning the forest for approaching enemies. Halfway around the circle, the assassin slipped on a heap of wet leaves. She fell to the ground and gasped, the man heard her and a moment after he definitely saw her as well. She expected him to attack her, but instead he just asked: "Did they send you for the report?"

"Yup, they did," she lied. She was sent there from a completely different reason, but she thought she could play with her prey.

"What happened to the regular guy?" the man wanted to know, "I've him several times, it's a shame I don't even know his name. But he wasn't much of a talker."

"He's sick," Katarina lied again.

"So they sent you. I guess you were the best choice. And what't your name, if I may ask?"

This left the assassin wondering if the man was flirting with her. If yes, he was very bad at it.

"Karissa," Katarina responded. It was her cover name, she used it so many times it almost had its own history. If only anyone was left alive to tell about it.

"Very nice name," the agent remarked, "so how are things in Noxus? I haven't been home for months."

"Pretty much the same as always," she spoke using a slightly changed voice, "still shit compared to when the Grand General was alive."

She thought Boram Darkwill would be popular with his son's followers. She was wrong.

"Are you testing my loyalty?" the man asked, but then he saw the bewildered look on Katarina's face, "Or you really don't know?"

"Don't know what?"

"Keiran Darkwill hated his father," the man explained, "yet he feels some strange need to avenge him. It's some weird family honour shit."

"Oh, now I understand," the assassin admitted.

Suddenly a man on a horse appeared on the clearing, wearing a uniform similar to the one of the messenger Katarina killed a week ago.

"What's going on here?" he asked, "and why are two of you here?"

"She was sent to retrieve the report," the agent said.

"No, she wasn't," the messenger said resolutely, "I was."

He saw Katarina from a different angle and noticed her prominent scar.

"Don't you know who this is?" he asked with hate and confusion evident in his voice, "This is the Sinister blade!"

The agent started running towards the Institute and the messenger attacked Katarina. The assassin teleported on the back of his horse behind him and slit his throat. She forced the animal to run, going after the fleeing agent. She caught up with him before he could reach the town, but the first houses were already in sight. Katarina threw a knife at his leg and he fell face down. She dropped from the horse and approched the man. The assassin put a blade to his neck in a threatening manner and told him: "Now, you worm, you'll tell me everything I want to know, or I'll start ripping off pieces of your body, do you understand?"

When she was done with him, she had to get rid of the body, someone could find it so close to the town. She dragged it closer to the nearest house, where some empty barrels were standing, and hid it in one of them. Then she was passing the house and heard a glimpse of a conversation: "Hey, Gart, go and refill those barrels, would ya? Our guests are thirsty."

"Ey, mate," another voice responded after a while, "did ya order a dead guy? 'Cause there is one over 'ere!"

Katarina couldn't be exposed and more violence could only draw unwanted attention. Besides, murder at the Institute's grounds could result in expelling her from the League. Fortunately, the Noxian Military Academy had taught her when to fight and when to run. This was the time to run.


	5. Chapter 5: Pretense

**Author****'s notes: So, since I write about _League of Legends_, I feel like I should also write something about my own playstyle. I won****'t lie to you, I****'m a big noob and a notorious killstealer. I play mostly mid assassins, my main is Zed, followed by Katarina and Akali. And momentarily I don****'t play that much, I only write about it.**

**I always try to describe the League matches realistically, as if they were fought with real weapons and the damage done based not only on how many times the champions hit their opponents, but also on where they hit.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Pretense

Everything was so fast, her heartbeat, her breathing, her walk through the town, trying to find a place to hide or a way to sneak to the Institute unseen. Katarina already got rid of the wig and a thin coat she was wearing over other clothes, someone could saw her in it while she was following the dead man. She threw it into a pile of burning trash and now she looked like herself again. The summoners knew she didn't visit the town almost at all, she had to find an excuse why she was there. Walking fast and thinking even faster, she almost bumped into the Frost Archer.

"Hey, Katarina," Ashe said in an indifferent voice.

"Are you stalking me now?" the assassin asked in shock.

"What? You said you didn't stalk me!"

"I lied, I'm a Noxian, we do it all the time."

"Alright then," Ashe said calmly and turned around to walk away from the Noxian. Katarina quickly scanned her surroundings, there were angry-looking summoners coming from the direction of the murder site. She was evaluating all of her options, the metaphorical wheels in her head spinning at speed of light. She needed to blend with the people to avoid suspicion, but she was known for not caring about events like this festival. It seemed the Frost Archer was her only way out. Katarina grabbed Ashe by her shoulder and turned her to face her. Then she looked her in the eye and tried to speak as sincerely as possible: "Hey, I just wanted to say sorry for what I did the other night. It was pretty bad."

It was a lie, she was never sorry.

Surprisingly, a small smile appeared on Ashe's lips, as if she forgave Katarina instantly, though was hesitant to show it.

"Wanna go grab some drinks or something?" the assassin continued, looking over the archer's shoulder for the summoners or town guards.

"That would be really nice," Ashe said confusedly, not knowing what to really think of Katarina's offer.

"Great, let's get outta here!" the assassin said and started dragging the archer through the town. Ashe also noticed the summoners and guards running around.

"What happened?" she asked the assassin.

"I have no idea," Katarina lied, she had to say something believable, "I guess someone got killed, or robbed, or raped," yes, this was the perfect excuse, no one could accuse her of rape. Well, Riven could, but that didn't matter now.

Katarina was leading Ashe, making unexpected turns on their journey and left the archer wondering if she tries to avoid someone. She soon asked the assassin about it.

"Yeah, my ex," Katarina lied, "she's a summoner and a real bitch."

"That surely explains a lot," Ashe muttered, but the Noxian didn't hear her, Katarina was just looking around.

"So what's this festival about?" Katarina asked, trying to hold the conversation, not that she would be interested at all, "I'm kinda misinformed."

"Celebrating the arrival of spring," Ashe explained, "it originates in Freljordian traditions, though it spreaded all around the world. Long time ago it was believed the Frozen Watchers would one day take over the world and an eternal winter would engulf Valoran. Therefore every time the spring arrived, people had reason to celebrate."

The assassin was still looking around her and Ashe was suspicious Katarina wasn't listening to her at all, so she quickly added: "And they usually did so by throwing emotionally unstable red haired lesbian assassins into fire."

It was an utter nonsense, but Katarina just nodded, this was the definite proof.

"So," Ashe continued, "you said something about drinks?"

The assassin's mind was suddenly back: "Yeah, you want some?"

"Not now," the archer replied, "it's too early to drink. Let's just walk around for a while and drink something later."

"Fine," the assassin agreed in a slightly upset voice. They came to an archery shooting gallery, where a bunch of kids was shooting from small wooden bows at large painted target thirty feet away in order to win big stuffed plush animals in absurd colours.

"You've gotta try this," Katarina suggested, "you could win everything."

"No, I am too good, it would be cheating," Ashe replied, "but you should try it."

"No way!" the redhead responded angrily, "I've only wielded bow once and it was years ago!"

"You did? That's great," Ashe exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah, during a skirmish with Demacia in the Kaladoun marshes. I was in a small strike group our general sent to sneak in between two Demacian military encampments. We all had bows, but almost none of us were actual archers, we had not enough men but too much equipment from the fallen ones. We knew where the camps are, they were too loud, but they couldn't see us, there was very thick fog in the marsh. We fired several arrows at both camps and then ran away, they started shooting at each other. Dumb Demacians."

The Freljordian didn't know how to react to that, so she just smiled at the assassin. Katarina clearly took it as a challenge, grabbed one of the child-sized bows and paid for three arrows. Ashe was thinking why had Katarina told her about her past, the Noxian usually wasn't someone who shared.

Meanwhile, Katarina fired the first arrow. It completely missed the target and Ashe erupted into laughter. If it annoyed the assassin, she didn't show it. Instead she prepared her second arrow and shot, only to achieve similar result as the first one. The Freljordian standing behind her tried so hard to hide laughter this time, Katarina barely noticed it. But she did and decided her last shot has to be perfect. She narrowed her stance and squared her posture, then closed her right eye and used the left one to aim. She pulled the string as far as she could, almost breaking the bow with the tension it had to endure. The assassin breathed in, adjusted her aim and then, with a breath out released, the arrow stuck directly into the red dot at the center of the target.

Katarina turned around smiling victoriously only to see Ashe staring at her in disbelief.

"That was wonderful," the archer said. She knew she could do much better with bow, but she wanted to encourage her beginner ... _friend_? Were they friends now?

"And you also won something," she continued. The fat man in charge over the shooting gallery handed Katarina a huge white poro. The assassin stared at the plush animal as if she didn't know what to think about it and she most probably didn't.

"Do you want it?" she asked the archer, "I have no real use for it."

"Thank you very much," Ashe responded, gently smiling, "I'm sure it will make a great pillow."

"Well, if you think so," Katarina spoke neutrally.

"What do you like to sleep on?" the archer asked curiously.

"Naked women," was the assassin's answer. It somehow made Ashe feel sorry about Katarina.

The redhead noticed a distant group of guards walking their way, they had to get away quickly. The guards weren't questioning people, they were just looking for signs of anything unusual.

The two champions walked around the town for another while, avoiding all the searching groups, what Ashe didn't know, and talked. Well, Ashe did most of the talking and Katarina just listened. Or didn't, the archer couldn't be sure about this either. After an hour, when the sun finally set behind the horizon and the town got dark, the two of them settled in a bar. It was a small and cosy place, Katarina chose a table in the far corner, she told Ashe she wants some peace and quiet to enjoy it more, but in fact she wanted to see anyone coming in before they could see her. Ashe ordered wine and Katarina too, she didn't want to get drunk and lower her guard, but she told the archer she did it for her. The Freljordian believed both of her lies, it was amazing how naive she was.

"So," Ashe started, when a waitress brought their drinks, "I wanted to ask you, what was growing up in Noxus like, especially when you are... you know..."

"Gay? You don't need to feel ashamed asking about that."

"Well, I was just thinking such strict military society as Noxus would have some rules."

Katarina peered deep into her memories again, but for Ashe it seemed as if she was only thinking how to respond.

_Katarina was just sitting in her sister's room, fiddling a small blade between her fingers and watching the younger girl trying on a new, expensive dress, which she got as an anonymous gift. The gown was very deep green, it complimented young Cassiopeia's eyes and curly blond locks, which she inherited from her mother, and corset of her dress squeezed her chest in order to create an impressive cleavage, although she was only fourteen years old._

_ "__You should really go to the ball with me," the younger girl said, "there will be the elite of Noxus there, you could find a good husband. Some of the younger officers are so handsome, like lieutenant Darius."_

_ "__I don't want a husband, Cass," Katarina responded. Her sister giggled and smirked viciously when she spoke: "Then maybe you could find a wife."_

_The redhead jumped from her chair, immediatelly crossed the room, grabbed her sister by the neck and pinned her against a wall._

_ "__What did you say?" she hissed angrily and almost choked Cassiopeia._

_ "__Katarina! Let your sister be!" a voice said from behind her._

_It was their mother, tall and beautiful, with features softer than most Noxian women. Though cold in public, she had been always nice to her children. But less to Katarina since she was expelled from the Academy, but the redhead thought it was because of the confession she made to her father afterwards._

_ "__What's up, mother?" she asked in an annoyed voice, not noticing her sister crumbled to the ground after she released her._

_ "__Your father wants to talk to you, and we have an important guest."_

_Katarina followed her mother to the hall of their mansion, where her father and another general awaited._

_ "__Thank you, Karissa," Marcus Du Couteau said, when they met him. Noxians don't thank, unless they mean it as a dismissal. The redhead looked at the strange man, he wore a long green robe and had a raven perched on his shoulder. Her father introduced him as general Jericho Swain._

_ "__And you must be Katarina," Swain said, "I've heard a lot about you. No one else got kicked out of the Academy so young."_

_ "__Don't mock her, Swain," her father replied, "she's an excellent assassin, maybe the best in her entire generation."_

_ "__I know, I have been told," Swain spoke calmly, "and I've been also told that you harbour another young and talented assassin under your protective wings."_

_ "__What?" Du Couteau snapped angrily, "you have spies inside my mansion?"_

_ "__Yes, of course I do," Swain agreed, "but only one. I met her on a ball, she was complaining her father doesn't want to buy her a new dress, so I promised to fix the issue if she delivers some useful information."_

_Katarina started to laugh and her father stared at Swain in disbelief: "You dare to use my own daughter to spy on me?"_

_ "__Yes," Swain replied, "only to find out if you're a trustworthy ally, without any unwanted allegiances that could compromise our cause. And now you know I believe you are, otherwise I wouldn't tell you."_

_Katarina knew her father had two options right now, either he could kill the other man right on the spot or he could continue like nothing happened in order to strengthen their alliance. It seemed both men knew, what would Marcus Du Couteau choose._

_ "__You're such a bastard, Swain!" he said while he also started to laugh._

_ "__Believe me, Marcus, I have been called much worse."_

_Then Katarina's father explained to her that Swain would teach her, what he couldn't. Everything about politics, strategy and other things she needed to survive among the Noxian elite._

_ "__He knows how to play this game better than anyone else," Marcus Du Couteau said._

_ "__And it's time for you to learn it too," Swain continued, "it's everything about moving the right pawn to the right place, just as chess. So let us play a game for the beginning, shall we?"_

"Actually there is only one rule regarding life in Noxus," Katarina sipped her drink and continued, "those with power can do whatever they want, unless there is someone even more powerful to stop them, and those without it suffer either way."

"That's kinda cruel," Ashe remarked in a sorry tone.

"No, it's not," the assassin disagreed, "it ensures only the best of us will reach high positions."

"You mean Swain?" the archer asked curiously.

"No, I actually meant my father," the redhead responded.

"But do you truly believe it's the best way of choosing leaders?"

"What better way could there possibly be?"

"I don't know," Ashe said indifferently, "I became the leader of my tribe thanks to luck."

"I don't believe in luck," Katarina opposed.

"Why not?"

"Because good things don't happen just because you wish for them."

"Luck is not about wishing," Ashe said, "but sometimes, when everything else fails, the world just helps you in a way you cannot understand and the good thing happens even though you didn't try to do it."

"So you say you weren't trying to become your tribe's leader?" the assassin asked with a smirk.

"Well, I was, but..." the archer tried to answer, but Katarina interrupted her: "Then it wasn't luck, it was pre-determined, everything is."

"How can you believe in that?" Ashe wanted to know.

"I live in a world of plans and plots," Katarina explained, "if anything fails, it's because you haven't planned it properly, not because of some 'luck'. And when I drive a blade through a man's throat it's because I worked my way to him carefully step by step, calculating with every possible obstacle."

"Oh..." the Freljordian didn't know, what to say or do, so she just ordered next round. Katarina was still looking through a window every moment. Soon afterwards, the two of them started chatting again, discussing every possible matter, except the one that slightly connected them - Katarina's stay in Freljord during Noxus' Barbarian Pacification Campaign. Ashe expected the Noxian would bring it up sooner or later, but when she didn't, nor did the archer.

They mostly talked bout their strategies in the League, exchanged several tricks and advices, about which champions they like as allies or which they hate as enemies. They even laughed together, what surprised both of them. They drank more than they should, or at least Ashe did. It led her to say something slightly personal: "I think you're not that bad, Katarina. You should behave like this more often."

She was looking the redhead right in the eye, and not realized she kept staring after she said it. It was a very long glance, it could be considered meaningful by some. The archer's cheeks turned red, but it was easy to blame it on the wine. Katarina turned her head and once again looked out. It was already night and the search for the murderer ceased entirely.

"We should get going," the assassin said.

"Why? I was having fun," the archer asked in a slightly dizzy voice.

"That's exactly the reason," Katarina responded. They walked back to the Institute together an she also accompanied Ashe to the Freljordian wing.

"Well, this was fun," the archer said, "we should do it again."

"I highly doubt that," the assassin responded.

"What? What are you talking about?" Ashe didn't know what to think right now.

"I simply used you," the Noxian explained, "I do it to people all the time and I'm not even sorry. So after all, I _am_ that bad."

She left without another word and didn't look back at all.

"You are just so confusing, Katarina," Ashe murmured when she entered her room. It was unusually late for her, she fell asleep very soon afterwards.

* * *

Weeks have passed since the festival and she didn't speak with the assassin at all, except during the matches when they were summoned together, and even then they only exchanged several words. Right now, Ashe was once again sitting in the common area, talking with her fellow Freljordians. Spring has always been a happy time in the Freljord, a large portion of ice had already melted and people were able to sow on their humble fields. And it also seemed the dreaded attacks ceased, or were only limited now, like if the attackers were afraid to come down from the mountains, when there was no snow. So the champions of the avarosan tribe were celebrating, though Ashe wasn't feeling happy. From her table she could clearly see Katarina, standing next to the bar and shamelessly flirting with another woman, presumably a summoner. Several minutes later they started to make out aggressively, making those, who saw it either uncomfortable or way too excited. They left soon afterwards, Katarina's hand around her new prey's shoulder and the summoner's gently placed on the assassin's hip. Ashe had heard enough gossip to know the other woman would be most probably crying the next morning, but it didn't bring her any relief. An hour later she left the common room and set up to walk aimlessly around the Institute.

When she was passing through the Noxian wing, she heard bits of a strange conversation, so she quickly hid behind the nearest corner in case the people talking could see her.

"I know what it feels like," said a female voice Ashe was sure she recognized, but failed to connect it with a face or a name momentarily, "living in a shadow of a dumb older brother with a terribly boring haircut."

"You described it perfectly, girl," a male voice responded, "finally someone gets me. How is it possible that I feel better when I'm near you?"

"I don't know," the girl said, "maybe it's because the others are too stupid to understand how awesome you are."

Ashe was thinking if this qualifies as stalking the same way Katarina was doing it. Probably yes, so she turned around and went away, because she definitely didn't want to end up like the Noxian. Speaking of the assassin, the archer was quite sure she passed Katarina's room a moment ago and heard a loud moaning from inside. Yes, it was certainly stalking and she felt ashamed of herself, but it was so exciting. She stood at the assassin's door and listened for a bit longer, the moaning got louder and louder. Ashe suddenly got a bad idea, it was so terribly bad and evil it was genius in a way. She stretched her hand out hesitantly, breathed in and out, swiftly but loudly knocked on the door and ran away as fast as she could.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Katarina yelled from inside, it was the last thing Ashe heard before she got away.

* * *

The next day the assassin was just leaving the post-game lobby after another victory. She enjoyed this particular game greatly, so she even shook hands with her opponents, saying them 'good game' and looking them in the eye in a way that added 'you loser'. She also noticed someone was observing her. It was one of the summoners she slept with but never spoke to again.

"Hey, Katarina," the summoner approached her, seething with rage.

"Hey,... ehm, you," the assassin responded sloppily.

"So you don't even remember my name," the other woman said, this time with disappointment, "but I remember yours."

"Of course you do, I'm a fucking star," Katarina said harshly. The summoner now looked like she was going to either cry or scream. The Noxian wanted neither of that to happen, so she did something she had never done before and tried to sooth the other woman.

"Hey, I feel really bad for what I did to you," she started.

"You do?" the summoner asked, trembling with mixed feelings.

"Yes, I do," Katarina lied, "but I'm currently in love with someone else, I cheated on her when I was with you. I'm sorry, I didn't intend to hurt you."

The assassin always found it amazing how far lies could get her and truth couldn't. They helped her solve this problem with zero effort. The last week was very calm for her, way too calm. She did some minor missions for Swain after the festival, but he was also laying low for the last week. Until today, he sent for her and she was heading to his room again.

"Our enemies are regrouping their forces," he told her, "the time to strike is now."

Beatrice squawked approvingly and waved her dark wings, it surely gave the moment a dramatic effect.

"So we'll assassinate Darkwill?" Katarina asked excitedly. The general just laughed: "No, Katarina, not yet and maybe it won't be necessary at all."

"How do you want to strike then?"

"Take a step back, Katarina, and look at the bigger picture."

The assassin shrugged: "You know I've never been good at this."

"Yes, I know," Swain agreed, "aggressive in offense, careless in defense, that has always been your playstyle."

Then he told her they couldn't attack Darkwill openly, his many followers would start a civil war if anything happened to him. They had to use much more clever tactics. Defeat in a fight over the Grand General's throne would be a humiliation for Darkwill, it could competely dissolve his supporters. But in the same moment they were talking about it, their enemy was trying to do the same thing to them. Swain needed a majority of the High Command generals to back him, but so did Darkwill. It was an unfair fight full of threats, bribery and extortion, Katarina loved it. Swain's spies told him Darkwill is attempting to sway general Zardas, one of Swain's most influential supporters, to his side. If he succeeds, others would certainly follow.

"You'll go to Noxus tomorrow," Swain said, "and you will kill Zardas, not only to prevent him from joining our enemies, it must also be a warning. He will be attending the Annual Kingslayer Ball in one week, assassinate him there, it will be perfectly symbolic."

"How do I get there?" Katarina asked

"No one must know you're gone, not even your sister. We'll smuggle you out of the Institute in a supply convoy and I will tell the summoners you are sick."

"Plenty Noxian champions and summoners are leaving for the ball, why cannot I too?"

"Because you weren't invited," the general responded, "and I also need you to deliver something."

"What?" the redhead asked curiously, this kind of services was beneath her level.

"A map," Swain explained, "the best and most detailed map of Noxian underground I was able to find after I searched the League's library for a week. There are also some other actions I need you to carry out while you'll be in Noxus, but don't worry, I left all the instructions on a paper packed together with the map."

"And how do I get back?"

"I was afraid you wouldn't ask," the general smirked, " after you finish all of the tasks, you will go to the Twisting Snake tavern, do you know where that is?"

"Yes, a shithole part of city," Katarina confirmed.

"Exactly. There you'll meet summoner Corlan, he is our ally, he will teleport you back to the Institute."

"This sounds like a solid plan, Swain," the assassin nodded.

"I am quite sure it is," he said.


	6. Chapter 6: Rooftops of Noxus

Chapter 6: Rooftops of Noxus

It was all about timing. The convoy from Noxus arrived several minutes ago and it was being unloaded right now. Majority of the food served in the Institute was produced by local farmers, but each faction had some special requirements. For Noxus it was booze and meat, for Demacia old wine and cheese that smelled like feet of dead people. Katarina sneaked through the kitchens dressed as a member of the staff, until she reached the back exit of the Institute's building. There were several Noxian soldiers accompanying the convoy, she recognized those who were older. They had been loyal to her father before he disappeared, so she guessed they were loyal to Swain now. There was a woman among them, her height and figure resembling the assassin's. She watched the woman step into the last wagon, then she took an empty crate that should be brought back to Noxus and followed the soldier. Once inside, the two women were supposed to change their clothes, the soldier would stay in the Institute and leave later without any suspicion, while Katarina would travel back with the convoy and the number of guards would remain the same. Whoever observed them, they couldn't notice anything.

"Are you staring at my tits?" the soldier accused Katarina after she took off her armor and all the layers of clothing underneath it.

"Nope," the assassin lied, "just evaluating them."

"You see that big guy with a huge-ass sword hanging on his shoulder?" the other woman pointed at another soldier, who watched over loading the crates. The assassin just nodded.

"That's my man," the woman continued, "he fucks me properly every night."

"Well," Katarina replied, "I've heard many times that big sword means something else is small."

The soldier let out a chuckle, then put on her the assassin's clothes and left the wagon. Katarina joined a group of soldiers and the convoy set on its journey. It was long, exhausting and also boring. They had to set camp every night, the horses pulling the wagons needed sleep more than the men. They travelled for days, surrounded by fields, forests and hills. Katarina knew she was the important one there, the soldiers were more-or-less guarding her, so she lowered her guard and let the rythmical bouncing of the wagon on an uneven road lull her into deep sleep.

_"__Why are there so many guards in here?" Katarina asked, "I thought the generals should be able to fight for themselves."_

_It was her first time in the High Command, she was excited but also a bit sad, because it wasn't her father who took her there, but Swain, because general Du Couteau was preparing for a major military operation in Freljord, and had no time to spare, even for his daughter._

_She was extremely nervous as the two of them strolled through the huge building. She was surrounded by great men and women who shaped the history of Noxus, and also by those who will shape it in the years to come. But what surprised her the most was that there was an armed guard on every corner, as if the most powerful men of the world needed to be watched over like little children._

_ "__They are not here to protect us, though that is what we tell the people," the general responded, "but to observe. To watch and listen, and then deliver the information to whomever are they loyal to. Some of them are my men, some are your father's, others are Darkwill's. The point is you cannot trust anyone, we are all liars here."_

_ "__But you are an ally of my father, you don't trust him?" the redhead didn't understand._

_ "__No, and he doesn't trust me, we are allies only as long as we have a common agenda," Swain explained, "after that we might become the worst enemies."_

_ "__Then why are you teaching me?" Katarina asked._

_ "__Only for my own personal gain," the general said, "I see a great potential in you, you might be a valuable ally even without your father watching your back, we both know he won't be doing it forever. I just want to make you an independent figure on Noxian political scene."_

_Over the next several hours they were sitting in Swain's office, writing and reading reports, doing all the necessary paperwork that held the enormous war machine together. It was simply boring and after a while the redhead found out she would be rather doing anything else._

_ "__So you thought you'll be having fun in here?" the general asked, "Don't you know ninety percent of every successful plan is logistics?"_

_Katarina just shook her head._

_ "__What do you want, Katarina?" he asked again. She just looked at him, wondering how much he knows and how much she can tell him._

_ "__Yes, I know you are gay," he said, "everyone knows, it isn't a new information. So what do you want?"_

_ "__I don't know," she hesitated, "a pretty girl, and maybe a house my sister won't be allowed to."_

_ "__That's not much," Swain admitted disappointedly, "maybe you have yet to discover your true price."_

_ "__My price?" Katarina was confused again._

_ "__Yes, the amount of gold you'll be able to sell your loyalty for," the general said._

_ "__My loyalty lies only with my family and Noxus!" the redhead exclaimed._

_ "__Alright, but what if two men approached you," he continued, "each of them claiming something different is best for our city, what would you do then?"_

_ "__I guess I would support the one that could convince me," she said resolutely._

_ "__But what if one of them was lying?" he asked, tensely anticipating the assassin's answer._

_ "__Didn't you say everyone in here is a liar?"_

_ "__You are indeed learning quickly," Swain remarked with a smile._

* * *

Katarina was quite lucky, over the years of her career in Noxian war machine she got used to sleeping in moving transport wagons. In the evening of the sixth day after their departure from the Institute, the assassin was woken up by one of the soldiers: "Hey, get up!"

"What the fuck is wrong?" she growled in response.

"Nothing, we're home."

She looked from the tiny window, the forest scenery opened in front of her and she set her eyes on her home city once again. Scanning the mountain, on, around and in which the city-state of Noxus was built, from a great distance, she realized how much had she missed it.

The convoy stopped by the High Command's kitchens, Katarina had to walk from there, though it was not far to the Du Couteau mansion. The guard seemed to recognize her although she was still dressed as a common Noxian footsoldier. The mansion was huge, it was build centuries ago and used first as a hideout and base of the assassin guild of Noxus. Some time later, the assassins were decimated due to an internal dispute. Those who survived, formed a small group around the most powerful one, who was also the founder of the Du Couteau house.

Katarina proceeded into her room and from there through a trap door to the dungeons underneath the entire mansion and several surrounding buildings. The assassin walked over to countless racks of weapons and wardrobe full of assassin outfits customized for different missions and conditions. None of them was similar to what she used to wear on the Fields of Justice. Soon after she joined the League, she had realized it was not only about skills, but also about the show, so she wore show clothes in the matches. She would never go to a real battle with so much skin uncovered. It was never pitch black darkness in Noxus, not even at night. The stars were shining too and parts of the city were constantly on fire, so black outfit wouldn't be an ideal choice. The attire she finally picked was dark grey, almost black and very loose, it allowed her to move very freely. It also had a hood and a facemask, so nobody would be able to recognize her. She completed it with a black leather vest, bracers and greaves, she didn't want to wear chainmail on assassination mission. It certainly offered better protection than leather, but the constant noise it was making could give away her position in a crucial moment and thus compromise the mission. At the end she donned her favourite black leather fingerless gloves with hardened metal knuckles. The best for questioning her enemies.

Katarina needed to schedule her duties, she only had two nights to carry out her orders. She decided to take care of her less important targets, then sleep at the day and leave the entire second night to assassinate Zardas.

The first thing she should do was delivering the map Swain gave her, she surely didn't want to carry the damn thing around all the time. She left the dungeons through an abandoned shop several streets further, climbed on the building and travelled to the rendezvous point via rooftops. It was in one of the poorest districts of Noxus, close to the docks. It was a simple wooden hut next to an entrance to the sewer system. The man she found inside definitely didn't look like a spy, and Katarina told him, after she handed the map over to him.

"And what should a spy look like?" he replied with a question.

"What the fuck?" she murmured in confusion.

"I mean," the man continued, "if I looked like a spy, everyone would know I am one, and that would make spying were difficult for me, don't you think so?"

"Makes sense," she had to agree.

"So the crucial element of being a spy is making yourself not look like a spy," he continued, "and if you see someone looking like a spy, you can be sure he isn't one."

"Or he's a bad spy," she responded.

"That's also an option," the man admitted.

"And what do spies look like?" she asked out of curiosity, "I mean how do you know what are you supposed not to look like? Like is there a guide how not to look like a spy?"

"Not that I would know," the man said, "and what about assassins?"

"What about them?" Katarina retorted the question.

"You look like an assassin and you are one," he asked, "I thought it would be similar to our ways."

"No," she replied strictly, "we usually don't leave witnesses."

The man finally shut up and Katarina could leave, but she didn't go far, because she had another assignment in the docks. Swain needed to win another general's loyalty by capturing a certain warehouse for him. The Noxian generals were constantly in war with each other, trying to rob the others and steal more power and influence for themselves. Noxian military units also quite often attacked one another in order to cull the weak and let only the strong survive. there were several versions of standard Noxian military uniforms, so they could distinguish allies from rivals, those allied with Darkwill usually wore black-and-red ones, those allied with Swain black-and-green ones.

The assassin perched on a roof near the heavily guarded warehouse. She could see groups of soldiers gathered in nearby alleyways, they were loyal to the general who wanted this warehouse, or anything stored in it, and they would strike the guards right after Katarina kills their commander. It was her job, to create distraction and wreak havoc in the enemies' ranks. When she finally identified the commander, she noticed he was talking to someone, someone she knew all too well. Even from the distance between them she was able to recognize the man's massive spiked armor and crude battle axe.

_"__What is Darius doing here?"_ she thought, _"isn't he allied with Swain?"_

It looked like the Hand of Noxus was giving the commander orders, then the lower man saluted the general and Darius turned away to leave. Katarina waited until he got far enough, she knew crossing paths with him at this point would compromise her mission entirely. She dropped from the building and still hidden in the shadows proceeded to the nearest group of guards.

The assassin briefly remembered her very first mission, killing a low ranked henchman of one of her father's countless political rivals. She stalked the man from his house to a dark and narrow alleyway. She was trembling, her heart was pounding so hard and fast she could hear it, and it seemed her target heard it too. He turned around and drew his sword, Katarina gave in to her first instinct and teleported behind him, then slit his throat instantly. It was a very sloppy cut and warm blood coated her fingers. When she realized her target was dead and she had succeeded, the relief was so great it almost brought the young assassin to tears.

Her mind quickly snapped back to reality and focused on the men in front of her. Katarina was a skilled professional now, no more trembling, just patience and concentration. She waited until the commander came near, then she charged at him. His men unsurprisingly blocked her way, she teleported behind them and started spinning on her heel, flinging blades at all sides, men falling down dead around her. Somehow the commander survived , his armor was much thicker than those of his subordinates. He charged at her with a longsword, she dodged the attack and distracted him with several punches aimed at his torso and head.

Meanwhile the allied troops engaged the rest of the guards in direct combat. It was a bloodshed with heavy casualties on both sides. Surroundings of the warehouse were soon painted red with blood, although it wasn't that unusual in Noxus.

The commander lashed out at Katarina, she swiftly sidestepped and kicked the blade out of his hand. He tried to punch her but she ducked, then dug a blade into his arm, sliced a major artery and thus demobilized him. The pain and a massive loss of blood brought the man down, the assassin only finished him with a mercyful strike at his neck.

The guards were defeated, none of them was left alive. One of the attacking soldiers approached Katarina and took off his helmet. He wore a common Noxian uniform, just like the others.

"Sinister Blade," he greeted her. She saw his face, clean shaved beard and greying dark hair, and thought he is much older than an average soldier. Most men in the Noxian army were either promoted or killed before they reached his age.

"Where is your commander, soldier?" she asked, "I was told I'd be meeting with the general."

"I am general Mogan," the man responded, "but I dress like I was one of my men. If they saw me fall on a battlefield, they would lose their will to fight and the enemy would gain it, so it's better if they don't know."

"You seem somehow familiar, general," Katarina said.

"We have met soon after you seduced my daughter once," Mogan replied.

"Oh," she said, _Oh fuck!_ She thought.

"Only once," he continued, "and it left her... Demacians have a pansy word that describes such feelings, don't you?.."

"Heartbroken?" Katarina tried.

"Yes," the general agreed, "but she deserved it. She has to be more careful about who she lets into her bed."

"Actually we did it on the carpet," the assassin remarked. The general shot her a murderous glance.

"But I guess you didn't need to know that," she added.

The soldiers broke down the gate of the warehouse, Katarina and the general entered in an awkward silence. The building was filled with identical crates, Mogan ordered his soldiers to take crowbars and open some of them, they found only cold, shiny metal bars inside.

"What is that?" the assassin asked.

"Carbon steel," Mogan responded, "the Ionians can make the best swords out of it. There is a word running around the barracks that someone is willing to buy books on Ionian swordmaking looted during the invasion."

"How many could they make?"

"With what we have here I would say something up to one thousand, but the documents I acquired say this warehouse isn't the only one."

"This doesn't make any sense," Katarina was thinking loudly, "there are no wars nowadays, why would anyone make so many swords?"

"I don't know," the general admitted, "you must inform general Swain as soon as possible."

"I will."

Her following missions were just ordinary fights and assassinations. Some fat-ass rich merchants wanted better places on the Noxian market, so it was up to Katarina to destroy their competitors. The merchant guilds themselves had no vote in the High Command, but they had many ways to influence and bribe the generals, so they were powerful allies. There was also some kind of religious fanatics or street preachers, who tried to warn the people form Swain's use of dark magic. They were most probably paid by Darkwill and didn't believe a word from what they were saying. And they were a problem, so they had to disappear. And it was Katarina's job to take care of them. There were rumors of seven such preachers, the assassin stalked all of them and killed them one by one, leaving their bloodied cold bodies as a reminder for everyone, who would want to cross her or her allies.

After that she returned to the mansion, to reequip and rejuvenate. She took a hot bath, then slept for several hours and then had sex with one of her maids, those were her three steps to perfect recovery before every important mission and, honestly, the only reason she even kept maids. This particular mission required a lot of planning, the ball was set in the High Command building and it was heavily guarded. She had three options to strike: frontal attack, infiltration and attack from above.

She decided for the attack from above, frontal attack on an event this size could be done only with a group of assassins and almost everyone there knew her face, so the infiltration would eventually end up as a failure, no matter how much she'd diguise herself. And she certainly had to strike at the ball, otherwise the assassination wouldn't deliver the message as Swain wanted it.

The annual Kingslayer Ball was the most popular and prestigious social event in Noxus. It marked the anniversary of the last time a Demacian king died by the hand of a Noxian soldier, the day Sion killed Jarvan I in one-on-one combat. It happened more than sixty years ago and most Noxians thought it should definitely happen again.

The loud music and shouting of drunk officers could be heard from great distance and Katarina definitely heard it when she was climbing the walls of nearby buildings. She was late and she knew it, but that was the plan, she wanted to show up after the people got drunk and lowered their guard.

She hesitantly watched the great building standing atop the Noxus mountain. She took several steps back on the roof she was standing on. Then she ran as fast as she could and leapt from the edge, her momentum carrying her forward. She didn't have more than a fraction of a second to grab the ledge on the opposite building, but she didn't need more. The assassin kept on climbing the steep grey wall until she reached the top. She noticed a guard and he noticed her. She was ready for combat, or to kill him before he could alert others, but he didn't react as she expected. He didn't draw his sword, only looked at her and nodded. She knew what it meant, it meant he knew she would come and what was she up to. It also meant he was not going to stop her. She just walked around the roof and encountered other soldiers, all of them fell in line with the first one.

_This is really impressive, Swain,_ she thought.

She perched on the opposite side of the roof and watched what was going on in the courtyard down below her. There was a massive bronze statue standing in the middle of it, depicting Sion and Jarvan I in their fight. By the strike of midnight, magic of present summoners would reanimate the statue and Sion would once again chop off the king's head.

In Noxus, the nobility consisted mostly of military commanders, but the highborne could fall in shame very quickly, if they couldn't lead their troops and someone more capable, even of lower born, would take their place, power and possessions. From her spot atop the roof, Katarina could clearly see both nobles and commanders and their ladies, drinking, eating and chatting, but right now most of them were dancing. The assassin hated dancing, every moment of it she had to endure in her entire life. Practicing it with her sister, when Cassiopeia wanted to learn it and also every single event like this one she had to attend, when all of the young dickhead sons of rich old bastards asked her to dance with them, only to try to touch her perfectly toned ass.

The tables down there were overloaded with food from all across Runeterra and barrels of the most expensive wine and beer were standing in the corner of the coutyard. She observed it very carefully as if patience was her highest virtue. Katarina knew what the man looked like, she had met him on several occasions and she was only surprised when she saw a random summoner lure Zardas to a secluded terrace and left him there after a short conversation. She dropped down there right behind the man, punched his stomach and pushed him up against a wall, drawing a blade with which she would end his life.

"Did Darkwill send you to kill me?" the general stuttered, it left Katarina confused.

"What? What are you babbling about, old man?!" she asked, her voice seething with rage.

"I heard Darkwill wants me dead," Zardas tried to explain, "so I guessed he sent you to carry it out."

"What game are you playing with me?" she hissed through her facemask, keeping her voice low so the other guests attending the Ball couldn't hear her.

"I am an old man facing his demise, what games could I play?" he said more calmly now, sensing the assassin was hesitant about killing him.

"So you weren't planning on betraying Swain and allying with Darkwill?" she asked, still unable to grasp the concept of what the man was saying.

"No, no, why would I do that?" the general asked in surprise, "He's a coward hiding in the sewers. Look at this city, girl, Noxus was built on war and now it's slowly decaying in the time of peace. Swain is the only one who knows how to change it."

"I believe you," Katarina said and meant it sincerely, "for now, but I will need a proof of your loyalty if you want to keep my trust."

"I'm certain I can deliver one," he said after she helped him back to his feet, "you'd be surprised if you heard what my spies have to say about certain individuals you and Swain call 'allies'. I might even..."

He didn't finish that sentence because right then a hooded figure in blue appeared out of nowhere behind him and stabbed right through his heart with a forearm-attached blade. The general fell to the ground, heavily bleeding and coughing out warm, crimson liquid. He waved his arms around using all of his remaining strength trying to desperately grasp something, anything, and hold it, as if it could help him stay in this world while his mind was slipping away, into the darkness.

Katarina eyed the murderer. She knew who he was, and she also knew what his next move would be. Talon unleashed a volley of his blades, enchanted to come back to him. She anticipated it, so she just backflipped over them unharmed. He charged at her after she landed on the ground, fiercely stabbing forward with his arm-blade. Katarina diverted his attack with a spin kick aimed at his arm and quickly punched his stomach and ribcage afterwards. He turned around and tried to slice her with blades attached to his cape, but she ducked just in time. She stood up with her left arm over her head blocking any incoming attacks and kept on hitting his torso with the right one, until she heard a loud crack. It could mean only one thing – one of Talon's ribs broke and he was in a lot of pain right now.

The two assassins circled around each other, exchanging minor hits and punches. Katarina took advantage of her better condition and quickened the pace of her strikes. Whenever Talon tried to catch up on her, he only hurt himself. But he did something she didn't anticipate, grabbed both of her wrists simultaneously and headbutted her. Katarina fell down and her opponent was closing in on her, his blade shining in the moonlight and ready to strike. When she tried to get up, he kicked her side so she just rolled until she hit the railing of the terrace. There was no time to think now, so she just teleported behind Talon. He turned around immediately as she expected and when he did, she rammed her knee into his crotch with her full force. He let out a gasp, she took advantade of his hesitation and hit him hard right into the face. She heard another cracking noise and a perfectly white tooth fell from his mouth.

Talon was weakening, it looked like he couldn't hold his pace anymore and retreated to defensive stance. He wasn't throwing punches, only blocking and deflecting the incoming ones. But it was a trick, he was only waiting for an opening in Katarina's technique and when it appeared, he hit her hard, she flew several feet back and landed on her back. He went after her then, hitting her again, cutting her shoulder and side. Those were only flesh wounds, but they cost her energy and speed.

Katarina knew she wouldn't be able to fight him for much longer, she had to retreat. She managed to hit Talon in the face, then grab his head and smash it into the railing. The impact left him disorientated, his head in enormous pain that prevented him from focusing. Katarina used it, climbed onto the railing and leapt at the nearest roof, running as fast as possible from the other assassin. He followed her, it was a crazy pursuit in the middle of the night, two dark, hooded figures jumping from rooftop to rooftop, throwing blades at each other. It showed up Katarina was lighter and faster, she was able to outrun Talon eventually.

She didn't go home, she expected Talon would wait for her somewhere near and the rest of her instructions was clear anyway. Katarina headed for what she called the 'shithole part of the city' in search for the infamous Twisting Snake tavern. She passed around groups of thieves and beggars, but none of them dared to bother her, because she had an aura of danger around her. The locals had to develop a sixth sense, that would tell them who is dangerous and who is not, otherwise they wouldn't survived here. They didn't need to know Katarina was a top class assassin, but they knew attacking her wouldn't pay off well.

The tavern itself was a dark, loud place, filled with drunk mercenaries and ugly, cheap whores. It smelled like someone died there recently and Katarina was quite sure someone did. Once inside, she noticed a man in long, black-and-green robes sitting alone at one table, it looked odd, given how crowded the place was.

"You're summoner Corlan?" she approached him. It was the same man she saw on Syndra's Judgement, a Noxian member of the Council.

"I am indeed," he said and slowly finished his drink, "follow me upstairs to do what you came here for."

He had a room rented at the tavern, from where he would teleport the assassin back to the Institute. The summoners there monitored the use of magic in the building, so it wasn't possible to teleport somone out from there, but it was the other way around.

"So how did your mission go?" he asked when they reached the room.

"It was shit," she replied, "complete, utter shit!"

"Shit happens sometimes," he said in an conversational tone, "so shall we begin?"

Katarina stood to the center of the room and Corlan started chanting a spell similar to the teleport used on the Fields of Justice. Blinded by the light and deafened by the humming sound, the assassin could feel the smell of Noxus dissipate around her, only to be replaced with another one, a gentle scent of forest.

* * *

**Author's notes: I guess I should****'ve warn you Ashe doesn****'t appear in this chapter, but I also kinda didn****'t want to. :D**

**This chapter was highly influenced by my favourite game franchise, _Assassin_**_**'s Creed**_**.**

**And I have fashioned myself a new summary, the old one seemed too generic.**

**A part of this chapter is set in the Noxian docks. I know it isn****'t said anywhere that Noxus has docks, but look at a map of Valoran and you****'ll see the city****'s position is very close to the sea, so I think it****'s impossible for Noxus not to have docks.**

**Also, I****'d like to write a bit about what I don****'t like about LoL, especially about Noxus. First of all, several Noxians are some of the worst villain stereotypes, such as a huge dude with an axe (Darius), an undead huge dude with an axe (Sion), an evil plotting commander (Swain) or a red haired bitch (Katarina, and as much as we like her, we have to admit she is a bitch).**

**Then, it****'s Noxus itself, not only its name contains ****'nox****', which is latin for ****'night****' (and latin itself sounds grimly), it****'s also shaped like a skull! Why? Why? Just why would anyone do anything like that?! It****'s so ridiculous and absurd! But, luckily, Riot did it for us, to know that the Noxians are the bad guys, in case we didn****'t get it from their overall appearance, their lores, their abilities or their playstyles. So, let****'s just shape their home city as a giant fucking skull, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THE BAD GUYS LIVE IN THERE!**

**That****'s the main reason the description of Noxus wasn****'t included in this chapter and it definitely won****'t be in any other chapter eventually set in there.**

**Anyway, I still hope you enjoy my humble story.**


	7. Chapter 7: The point of no return

Chapter 7: The Point of No Return

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. The spell should have taken Katarina back to the Institute, but she ended up stranded in the woods instead. It was still dark, several hours remained until the dawn. She was beaten and bleeding, her attire completely destroyed after fighting Talon. She made a small campfire to keep her warm and keep the wild beasts away from her. She waited until the sky was lit with the first rays of light, then she climbed up a tall tree and looked around. She saw the white towers of the Institute stand out against the still dark southwestern horizon. She set the course in her mind and followed it until she reached the Institute town.

The assassin had to sneak through it, she didn't want anyone to see her, not even in what she was currently wearing. Fortunately for her, the town was devoid of people at this time of day. Katarina walked silently among the houses, stepping on tiptoes, hiding behind every corner and scanning her surroundings for random civilians. She reached the Institute's building and found an open window. She climbed in and hurried to her room through the secret pathways. Once in there, she took a bath, then treated her minor wounds with bandages and washed all of the dirt and dried blood from her face, she couldn't tell if it was hers, Talon's or the dead general's. When she was done with it, she got dressed in her usual clothes and proceeded to dry her hair, but right then someone knocked on her door. She opened and saw a summoner standing there.

"Sinister Blade, are you well already?" he asked. She almost forgot she was supposed to be ill for the past week.

"Yup, feeling great!" Katarina responded.

"We need to assemble all champions," the summoner informed her.

"And why the fuck would you do that?"

"There has been a murder within the Institute's walls."

* * *

It had happened late in the evening, or at night, most of the champions were sleeping and those who weren't, surely had more important things to do than randomly wander around the Institute, so no one could disturb the murderer. The body was found very early in the morning, lying in a pool of blood in a non-frequently used hallway of the building. The champions were supposed to gather in the Institute's Great Hall, while being escorted there, Katarina learnt that Zilean, the Chronokeeper, was the victim. The summoners figured out his throat had been slit by a blade of sorts, they weren't able to find the weapon, and nobody had seen the murderer.

Katarina got to the Great Hall, the champions in there, alongside with summoners, were sorted into their regular factions, so the assassin found herself surrounded by Noxians. In front of the groups of champions were standing ornamented chairs with high backs on a raised dias. Some of the highest ranking summoners, whom the High Councilor Kolminye appointed as members of a new, special Tribunal, were sitting there and simply questioning all champions, they didn't hope to solve the case right away, only to narrow down the list of possible suspects. The assassin ignored them, she had other, more important matters on her mind right now. Pushing others out of way with her elbows, she worked her way directly to Swain.

"We need to talk, now," she said angrily, though he was sure he wasn't the target of her anger.

"Later, Katarina, there's something going on here," he replied calmly.

"What?" she was absolutely infuriated, "It's fucking important!"

"Calm down, Katarina," Swain turned to face her, piercing her with his gaze, his voice kept low and cold as death, "by now I can tell you want to inform me on failure of your mission, but think it through, do you really want all of these people to know about our secret operations?"

She closed her mouth immediatelly and remained silent.

"I thought so," the general added.

The Tribunal, led by Kolminye's deputy, summoner Arlos, was questioning the champions one by one, when they got to Katarina, she only repeated she was ill and they seemed to be quite satisfied with her answers. The initial questioning brought no positive results, so either none of the champions was guilty or some of them were lying. All matches scheduled for the next three days were cancelled and the Tribunal assembled a special investigation team, consisting of four champions. First of them were naturaly Caitlyn and Vi, for their experiences in the Piltover police dept. Of course, they had to prove themselves innocent in front of the Tribunal first, and they did so by claiming they were together, devising a strategy against a gang of very dangerous criminals threatening their city. This was told by Caitlyn, then Vi added those criminals call themselves the 'furious fingers' and the sheriff started to blush uncontrollably. The next two to join the team were Irelia, who had also some experiences as investigator in the Ionian Guard and was meditating with her country's summoners when the murder happened, and Heimerdinger, who could help with scientifical advices, and he also had some other yordles as alibi.

When the questioning was over, Katarina followed Swain into her room, he was afraid his can be compromised. The murder made him paranoid, well, more than usually.

"So how did it go?" he asked curiously.

"It was fucked up pretty hard!" the assassin exclaimed, "Someone is bullshitting you, Swain! Some of your own men!"

"Calm down, Katarina," Swain said, "tell me everything that happened, and try to start from the beginning this time."

"Zardas never wanted to betray us. Your information was wrong."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Absolutely, he told me right before Talon showed up and put a fucking blade through his heart. And by the way, he works for Darkwill now."

"That is an unexpected turn of events," the general stated, "I need you to tell me everything, spare me no detail."

She told him what happened since she left the Institute a week ago and he didn't stop her until she got to the part when the guards of the High Command let her pass and carry out her orders.

"Those weren't my men," he said, "my influence doesn't reach so far, although I would be happy if it would."

"What the fuck happened then?" Katarina asked completely confused, "Why did they let me in?"

"I believe it's clear they weren't told whom are they supposed to expect," Swain replied, "only that 'an assassin' would come and do the job."

"So they were expecting Talon!" the assassin concluded.

"Exactly."

* * *

The crime scene was kept untouched since the body was found, and guarded carefully by the summoners. All day, champions, summoners and people from the town alike were coming, they wanted to see for themselves if the rumor was true. The body lay still, blood spillt on the floor around it slowly drying exposed to the air. A disgusting stench was spreading on every side and flies together with other insects started to feast on the corpse. The Chronokeeper was lying on his side, his dead eyes looking forward and face twisted with an expression of unspeakable terror, his azure robes soaked with his own blood and the gory wound on his neck, deep and wide open, revealing the inside of his throat. The investigation team approached the body in silence, the scene in front of them took their words away. They started to examine the corpse, Caitlyn by careful observation and Heimerdinger using an extremely complicated device, which had a name no one beside him could pronounce.

"He looks surprised," Irelia stated.

"Yeah, I guess death has that effect on everyone," Vi replied casually.

"No," the Ionian said, "I mean they said he was able to see the future, how could he not know he was going to die?"

"I was just a rumor," Caitlyn opposed, "I don't think anyone actually believed it."

"What is this?" Heimerdinger noticed something on the ground and picked it up, it was a transparent bloodied fragment.

"The clock broke when he hit the ground," the sheriff said, "this must be a glass shard."

"At least we know the time of death," the enforcer joked.

"Vi!" Caitlyn scolded her.

"What? You know I ain't good at this 'detective work', I just punch people 'til they say what I want to know. And there's no one I could punch here, so I'm bored."

The four of them continued searching the crime scene, but they found no evidence at all. It looked like their effort was futile.

* * *

Later that day, Katarina sneaked out of her room. It was evening, but she didn't see any champions or summoners in the hallways. Only guards, watching over everything and everyone, patrolling through the Institute. It was a big change, and definitely an unpleasant one. The redhead also roamed silently and aimlessly around the building, her matches were cancelled, so she had a lot of time and no way to spend it. She doubted Swain would send her on a next mission any time soon, so she didn't need to train so much. She headed to the common area, only to find the bar is closed and almost all champions are attending a silent ceremony for the fallen member of the League. Summoner Izara, a tall woman in a red-and-silver robes, piercing eyes and long black hair, an Ionian member of the summoner council, was giving a speech.

"We've built a dream for ourselves," she said, she was trying hard to supress her feelings, but she somehow couldn't stop a single tear rolling down her cheek, "a dream of peace, harmony and good will, that would spread out through Valoran and make the world a better place for all of us, no matter from where we came, we dreamt of reaching the end of our journey together. We worked hard to achieve what none of us could do alone. But today, a tragic death of our friend, Zilean, shattered the fragile dream to pieces. Like a vicious disturbance of this dream, it caught us completely unprepared..."

The summoner kept talking on and on, Katarina walked to the bar and tried to order a drink, but she was turned down and sent away.

"So you're telling me I can't get drunk because an old dude wasn't watching his back and got killed?" she reacted, sounding thoroughly displeased.

"No, but you can still join us," a summoner suggested.

"No fucking way!"

"Sinister Blade, please pay some respect to the dead!"

"Why? I don't pay it to the living either!" Katarina exclaimed, she scanned the crowd and noticed a lot of eyes were watching her. Among them was a pair of crystal blue ones, belonging to the Frost Archer. The assassin just turned on her heel and walked away.

After all she ended up in the training area, completely alone, she could vent out her frustration as much as she wanted. Suddenly, everything came back to her. The murder, her fucked up love life, the disappearence of her father, the murder, the failure of her mission in Noxus, she knew it wasn't her fault but she couldn't stop blaming herself. She was lashing out at the wooden dummies with uncontrollable anger, and completely destroyed two of them only half an hour into her training session. A while later, the door behind her opened. It was Ashe, she quickly peered in, but after seeing the state the assassin was in, she just left.

* * *

The next day, the investigators had to try a new clue. It was a commonly known information that the Chronokeeper was working on something with Ryze, though no one could tell them exactly, what were they working on. The team decided to ask the mage personally, and visited him in the League's library, where he usually resided.

"So was he able to see the future or not?" Caitlyn asked him. Ryze had a small magic laboratory in a secluded part of the library, it was filled with the oldest books and scrolls, vials of strange potions, astronomical charts, runes, and other things, most of them the sheriff couldn't recognize at all.

"That depends," the blue man replied, "on which future are you talking about?"

"What?" there are more futures?" Vi asked completely puzzled.

"Yes, of course," the mage started explaining, "working with Zilean for so long, I have learnt a lot about the nature of time and the way we percieve it. You might know that his experiments with time magic caused him a very rare disease, so rare his case is actually the only one known. And this disease made his mind technically 'shift through time' going back and forth in his memories without any control over it."

"So he could see the future!" the enforcer exclaimed.

"Please, let me finish," Ryze continued, "if you stood in front of an important decision and someone granted you a vision of future, showing that you fail when you make the choice you wanted, would you alter your path?"

"I think I would," Caitlyn answered.

"What would happen with the future you saw then?" the mage asked again, "Different steps could result in an completely different future, that means what you saw wasn't the future after all. This is not the way how it all works."

"What are you trying to say, old man?" Vi asked in a threatening matter, so much theorizing over time made nervous and upset.

"I am trying to say that there are countless possible futures, but only one real. That one is determined by both intentional and unintentional actions of all sentient creatures, and it's the only one Zilean could see. The future is formed by the moment we make certain decisions and most of them don't take long to show results. In the end, I think his ability to 'see the future' was highly overrated and wasn't something worth killing for."

"Thank you for your time, Ryze," Caitlyn said and they left the library.

* * *

This night the bar was open and selling everything with fifty percent discount, to help the champions forget what happened. Katarina could come and drink as much as she wanted, but strangely she didn't show up. But Ashe was in there, sitting over a drink with Caitlyn and Vi, those two still discussing the investigation. Those two weren't her best friends, she but occasionally enjoyed their company. It was generally quiet this evening, no fights or drinking games. People were just sitting around, slowly sipping their drinks and talking about everything, from the meaning of life down to mediocre everyday matters.

"What's wrong with her?" Ashe asked Vi, after Caitlyn ingnored her previous question.

"She's in her own world right now," the enforcer replied casually, "she used to do it back in Piltover, everytime we were investigating and reached a dead end. She always sunk deeply into her thoughts and found the answer after several minutes. Or hours. Or days, it really depends."

"I think I've figured it out," the sheriff suddenly said.

"You had?" Ashe asked.

"That's great!" Vi yelled out excitedly, "Who's the killer, Cupcake?"

"I don't know yet," Caitlyn admitted, "but I worked out the possible motives. It was nothing personal, he wasn't a favourite champion, nor a hated one like Teemo or Tryndamere. We spent two days looking for any bad relationships, be we haven't found anything, that means there's nothing to be found!"

"Maybe you overlooked something," Ashe suggested. Both Vi and Caitlyn eyed her angrily.

"What? I'm just saying!"

"After that," the sheriff continued, "I realized there are only two other possible motives. The first, and easier one is a 'practise murder'. The Institute is heavily guarded, killing someone while remaining undercover is almost impossible, so I guess the killer has another target, maybe more important one, and just wanted to try how a murder in the Institute would play out."

"Wouldn't it just make the second murder more difficult?" Ashe asked, "Given how much the security has improved over the past two days."

"Yes, you're right, I'm still working on that," Caitlyn admitted, "maybe the killer wanted to distract them with the murder, so they can't guard something else."

"C'mon, Cupcake, don't give up, you still rock!" Vi said, "Tell us about the other motive."

"Well, thanks," the sheriff smiled, "Vi, you know how Ryze told us about the possible futures? So I thought, what if someone has some evil plan prepared for the Institute and didn't want Zilean to see it before it happens."

"That sounds really interesting," Ashe said, barely hiding laughter, "and also absolutely ridiculous, I'm really sorry, Caitlyn."

"It's alright," the sheriff replied sadly.

"Who would want to see the future anyway?" Vi said, then sipped from her drink, "I've been hearing a lot of bad news lately. The king of Demacia is dying, Noxus is in some sort of civil war, Freljord too, but for much longer, some terrorists are running around Ionia an recently Zaunites sent us their cute little gift that calls itself Jinx and kills people by hundreds."

"What do you mean?" Caitlyn asked, sounding really concerned.

"I mean the future is shit, let's enjoy what we have now," the enforcer finished in a worried voice.

"Do you have any suspects?" Ashe asked to break the silence that occured afterwards.

"Yeah, I have one," Vi said, sounding more vividly instantly, "Swain."

"Well, that might be," Caitlyn agreed, "he quite usually says he's five steps ahead of others."

"He does?" Vi asked curiously, "That's impossible! How could he walk so fast with that cane?"

"You can ask him yourself," Ashe suggested and pointed out to the far corner of the common area, "he's sitting over there with LeBlanc."

It was true, those two were sitting there and laughing much more than Noxians usually do, even if they are in company of their own kind.

"I certainly will," Caitlyn said and headed to the table, the two other women followed her. The Noxians stopped laughing when the trio approached them, and put on serious faces.

"Good evening, ladies," Swain spoke, his voice coldly polite and threatening as ever.

"We have a question for you, Swain," the sheriff started, but Vi interrupted her: "Did you kill Zilean?"

"No, I didn't," he answered calmly, "I was no friend of that old mage, but I also had no dispute with him.

"What were you doing in the time of murder?" Caitlyn asked.

"I was with Evaine," he replied, LeBlanc nodded, "we were in my room, we had a tactical meeting."

"Romantic dinner," the Deceiver corrected him.

"Yes," Swain admitted with a sigh, "that's actually a more correct description."

The three women left the Noxians and begin quietly walking back to their table.

"Those two are together?!" Caitlyn said after she sat down, "that's so gross! I can't even imagine how gross that is! Now I can't get the picture out of my head."

"Me too, thanks, Cupcake!" Vi said angrily.

"Hey, they are both creepy and both are Noxians," Ashe responded, "they fit together perfectly."

The enforcer just shrugged: "Excuse me, girls, I think I'm gonna vomit!"

"So," the Frost Archer started after Vi left, "I think we can rule those two out. Do you have any other suspects?"

"Well, I have," Caitlyn replied, "someone I've seen you with on the spring welcoming festival."

"Katarina?" Ashe asked uncertainly, "Why do you think she would do something like that?"

"She's an assassin," the sheriff said, "and she's from Noxus, and she has weak alibi, and she acts suspiciously, and she's a murderous bitch..."

"Okay, okay, I got your point," the archer said defensively, then started to look around as if she was trying to find a clue about what time it was.

"I think I have to leave you now," Ashe continued, "it's getting too late for me."

"Hey, Ashe, what did I say?" Caitlyn asked as the other woman stood up.

"Nothing, really," the archer replied, but the sheriff didn't believe her completely. Caitlyn ordered one more drink, drank it and then left as well.

* * *

Despite the late hour, or maybe just because of it, Katarina was standing amidst the training room, dripping with sweat. Around her stood several training dummies, some others lied on the ground, knocked down by the assassin. She was breathing heavily, eying her wooden opponents with rage in her eyes, her hands were clutching blades with such force they turned white entirely. She looked at the dummy in front of her, projecting all of her anger onto it and striked it, leaving a deep diagonal cut on its chest. But she didn't stop there, she couldn't, the rage was too big. She was striking the dummy over and over again, shredding it to pieces, splinters flying through the air after each hit, until the dummy was so damaged it crumbled. She didn't choose another one, instead she was attacking more at once now, spinning around, throwing punches, kicks and blades at all sides. It was exhausting, draining, but the rage burning inside her veins just forced her to go on, to continue despite the exhaustion, despite the pain. Her blades were digging deep holes into the wooden bodies, many of her targets were damaged beyond any repair. Once she stabbed on of them with such strength she couldn't pull the blade out. She tried and tried again, only to fail every time and sigh. In the end she kicked the lifeless figure down, it broke upon impact and the hard wood released the weapon. Katarina didn't pick it up, she let the other one fall to the ground as well. She felt like if someone was standing behind her, watching her and mocking her mistakes, she was also sure who that was supposed to be – Talon. She quickly turned around to punch that traitorous bastard right in his face, but she found out it was just another dummy. Her own mind was playing tricks her.

But she hit it anyway, with her bare fists, and kept on hitting it again and again and again. Large drops of sweat rolled down her face, her breath faster and heavier than before and her entire body in pain. The dummy shook each time the assassin's fist hit it, Katarina's training was very intense and still accelerating. She was suddenly letting out everything she kept inside for several past weeks. The wooden head of the dummy bore no face, but she saw faces of all her enemies at once. She roared in anger, quickened her pace and kept on hitting the wooden figure's torso. She was punching it until the wood broke under her hits and the dummy fell to the ground. Katarina looked at her hands, they were red as her hair. Her knuckles were bleeding very badly. Right then the door opened and the Frost Archer walked in. Ashe took in the scene in front of her, fixing her glance on the panting assassin.

"What?" Katarina roared, "You have something to tell me?"

"In fact I do," Ashe said calmly, "Caitlyn thinks you killed Zilean."

"Well, I didn't," the assassin replied.

The archer just kept on looking at her.

"You don't trust me?" Katarina asked, she would be very surprised if Ashe did.

"I do," the Freljordian said, "though I am not sure why."

There was an awkward silence growing between the two, so Ashe decided to break it after her gaze wandered to Katarina's hands: "It looks bad, you should see Soraka about it."

"It's none of your business," the assassin spat.

"Fine," the archer said and left. Katarina then realized it really hurts like hell, so she visited the League's infirmary, where the Starchild treated her wounds with mother-like care, not at all diminished by the fact Katarina was a Noxian. When she was leaving the infirmary, some deep, unexplainable feeling made her look into a distant corner. She noticed the Frost Archer was standing there and smiling intensely.

* * *

The League of Legends was the ultimate tool serving many noble purposes – it helped resolve disputes between nations, build metaphorical bridges between distinct cultures, protect small and unique comunities and shelter individuals running from persecution. But it was also the best place to bond with others, in there, friendships were formed regardless of where the people came from or which faction were they loyal to. Most usual were those between a champion and the one summoner that used to summon then more often than others. Even Ashe had one such friend, a Demacia-allied summoner called Balah, a man with one eye bright green and the other one dark brown. He always wore his blue-and-gold robes with hood pulled up, only those different eyes peeking into the world, but he seemed a genuinly nice guy. Ashe hadn't spoken to him since the murder happened, until the day after her night encounter with Katarina.

"Hey, here you are, Ashe," he greeted her when they met by chance in a hallway.

"Hello, Balah," she said, "how are you?"

Those two just casually talked for a while, exchanging general information about their lives, though nothing too intimate. Balah was very sad his king was dying, and from the way he talked Ashe soon felt sorry for him. As much as they wanted, they couldn't avoid the murder in their discussion, it was the most shocking thing ever happened in the Institute.

"Have you heard it?" summoner Balah asked.

"Heard what?" the archer responded.

"They found the weapon," he explained, "and with it the murderer."

"No," Ashe said confused, "I haven't heard that. Who was it?"

"The Sinister Blade," the summoner responded.

"Oh, no."

Ashe had to run through the entire building, just to see Katarina being dragged into the Judgement Tower for interrogation by four strong guards. Katarina was unarmed, yet she posed a serious threat. The assassin was putting up a fight, she was throwing punches and kicks all around her, yelling only the worst insults at the men who were trying to restrain her. They had no weapons in their hands as well, they didn't want to hurt her, but she didn't care at all and fought with her full strength. She knocked one of them to the ground, but other three quickly grabbed her and held her, trying to get her inside the tower.

"Get your fucking dirty hands off of me!" she yelled, but then Vi came and punched her in the face. The last thing Ashe saw was the tower's massive door closing behind Katarina.

* * *

"Do you recognize this weapon, Sinister Blade?" some old dude asked her, "we found it in a ventilation shaft near the crime scene, covered in the victim's blood!"

Katarina was sitting at the table mostly reserved for champions undergoing their Judgement. The investigation team was seated opposite of her, along with a man who obviously felt privileged to ask such questions. From what she was told she understood he was a summoner leading the investigation. There were also many guards in the room, tips of their spears aiming directly at her. The very last thing she noticed was the actual object of interest, a small blade lying in front of her.

"Yeah, I do," she admitted, "it's a throwing knife of a simple Noxian design, supposedly mine."

"Supposedly?" the man asked another question in an annoying, high-pitched voice. She didn't bother to answer at first, just eyed the man in font of her she sensed he's afraid of her, she could smell his fear. She wanted to rise from her seat and threateningly tower over the man, but after a guard jabbed her in the ribs with the dull end of his spear, the assassin quickly reconsidered her strategy.

"It's identical to those I use on the Fields," the assassin replied, "but given how much I throw them at people, I wonder you haven't found a full dozen of 'em."

"Believe me, you're not helping yourself, Katarina," the summoner said. The investigators were watching her patiently, observing her every move, every drop of sweat running down her face. They were waiting for any mistake she would make, but she wasn't going to make one. She was innocent after all, someone certainly wanted to frame her. If she only could tell the truth without sacrificing anything she and Swain were working on, she would do it right away, without hesitation. It seemed like someone knew, and she promised to herself she would find that bastard and gut him if she leaves this room alive.

"Why to fuck would I use a throwing knife to slit a man's throat anyway?" she asked nervously, "they're meant for throwing, not cutting!"

"I have no idea," he stated indifferently, "you tell me, you are an expert."

"What?" Katarina was shocked, "this is just ridiculous!"

She hit the table with her fist and the big room was suddenly filled with the sound. It was too much noise for someone currently accused of a murder, all of the guards made a quick step forward, she almost felt cold steel of a spear on the back of her head.

"It might be," the old man admitted, "so why don't you just tell us what were you doing in the time of murder?"

Her seat was getting uncomfortable, as if it wanted to trap her in itself and she was constantly shrinking in it. She knew very well the punishment would be death if she was proven guilty and it looked somehow inevitably. She had to think, consider everything, evaluate every option. Think it through entirely in the little amount of time that was given to her. She couldn't tell the truth, Swain's plan couldn't be compromised. But what other option did she have? She couldn't think of any suitable lie and even if she did, it would be exposed right away. It was the worst decision she had to make, ever. Save her life and betray Swain and his allies, or die for what she believed in. What would her father do in her place? She knew, she knew, it was difficult to admit but she knew he would stay loyal against all odds, never tell a word and accept the punishment as an unfortunate turn of events. He was strong, she realized he was much stronger than her, because there was something inside of her, that forced her to cowardly give in.

"I was..."

"She was with me," a voice from behind cut through the room. Katarina turned her head around to look at the balcony from where she used to watch the Judgements. She saw the hooded figure of the Frost Archer standing over there, the Freljordian must have remembered the secret passage Katarina once took her there through.

"Yes, I was with her," the Noxian didn't understand why would the archer risk to rescue her, but she grabbed the opportunity as soon as it was given to her.

"We are a couple," the archer finished.

"What?" several voices called out at once. One of them belonged to Katarina.

* * *

**Author****'s notes: Yes, I know what are many of you thinking, a murder in the Institute is probably the worst cliché among LoL fanfic authors (I know about at least two other stories with that idea), but I promise you it will make sense in the ****'greater scheme****' of my story.**

**Besides, if this all was only about some murder, don****'t you think it would happen much sooner than it chapter 7?**

**So, if you have any idea who could be the murderer, feel free to post it as a review or PM me. I promise you I won****'t be making any new characters for this purpose, so it is either a champion or an OC summoner already mentioned in the story. But please post it with a motive you think the murderer had, I don****'t want just pure guessing there.**

**Plus one more revelation: it wasn****'t Katarina! :D**

**So feel free to post, I will have a good time laughing at your half-hearted attempts! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

**But really, no offense.**

**I know this chapter took me really long, but since it is a break point in the story, I tried to make it as good as possible**

**And if you are concerned about the discussion with Ryze, don****'t worry, I won****'t change this story into some weird time travel/parallel universes sci-fi.**


	8. Chapter 8: Registration

Chapter 8: Registration

Right after the interrogation was over, Katarina forcefully dragged Ashe out of the room, pinned her against the wall, put a blade to the archer's neck and asked her one simple question: "What the fuck did you just do?"

Ashe was confused, after what she said in the Judgement Tower, Katarina played along, she had no other possibility. Ashe didn't want too much from the assassin, only a bit of gratitude, instead she got an angry glare and a cold steel at her throat.

"What's wrong with you, Katarina?" she asked, "I just saved you, they would have executed you for the murder!"

"Yes, I know, and I'm..." the assassin sighed, as if admitting it hurt her, "I'm very thankful for that, but couldn't you just say we're friends?"

Ashe just smiled at her: "Katarina, everyone knows you don't have friends. And it was the first thing that came to my mind, I'm sorry."

"So you think just because I'm gay I want to fuck every woman in sight?" Katarina asked, the anger in her voice faltering, but still present.

"You behave like you wanted to... sleep with every woman in sight," the archer remarked. The assassin had to think about it.

"Good point," she admitted. They suddenly heard someone coming closer. Katarina immediately concealed the blade with a single quick movement practiced into perfection. Then she started kissing Ashe passionately and even pushed her tongue to the other woman's mouth. Ashe gave in to the kiss, she pulled the redhead into an embrace. She did everything needed for them to look as a couple freshly fallen in love.

"We should get going," the assassin suggested, "someone might hear us."

She turned to walk away, when she heard Ashe's voice behind her: "Hey, Katarina!"

"What?" the redhead asked in an irritated voice.

"You're a very good kisser," the archer said with a smirk.

"I know," Katarina replied, equally smirking, "I've been told many times before."

They ended up in Katarina's room, she led the archer all the way there, then opened the door for her and checked the hallway for possible spies or enemies before she closed it behind herself. The first thing Ashe noticed once inside was almost unbelievable chaos that dominated the room. She hesitantly treaded through the room and sat on the edge of the assassin's large bed, trying not to step on anything sharp. Katarina just leaned against a wall so she could look directly at the archer. Ashe was just looking around, her eyes wandering around the assassin's personal belongings, from lot of knives and another bladed weapons to various assassin outfits and a large Pentakill poster hanging above the bed.

"Yup, that's my favourite band," Katarina said, "so, what will we do now?"

"What do you mean?" the archer asked.

"If you thought this plan through or it was just a blind shot?"

"I don't know," Ashe admitted, "we could pretend to date for a month, then we would make a big breakup scene for everyone to see and then live our lives as nothing happened."

"Sounds good to me," the assassin replied, "but I still don't understand one thing."

"What thing?"

"Why did you do that at all?"

The archer let out a deep sigh: "Because I know you saved me a long time ago."

For Katarina it was just another trip to her memories.

_It was very cold in Freljord that day, but she guessed it was always cold there. She just returned from a scouting mission and reported to an officer before entering the camp. She was a part of the operation, they called it Barbarian Pacification Campaign. It involved thousands of Noxian soldiers and general Du Couteau was its supreme commander. They slowly advanced through the snow-covered tundra and by now had already burnt down three barbarian villages. However, the entire operation was just a huge coverage. Grand General Darkwill was still alive back then, Swain's summoners found out he was magically extending his lifespan. The only problem was they had no idea what kind of magic was he using. More than a year ago their experiments concluded he might be infusing his blood with True Ice, so Du Couteau and Swain planned this operation to find some of the rare material in the land where they had the best odds of finding it. But they still hadn't found anything._

_Katarina was walking through the camp to the largest tent, from which her father commanded his men. Her feet were sinking deeply into the snow. She couldn't tell him what happened to her, but he could easily tell when she was lying, so she opted for 'selective truth'._

_ "__How was your trip, Katarina?" the general asked. It was a commander's question, hidden in a fatherly tone._

_ "__As usual," she replied casually._

_ "__Have you noticed anything worth mentioning?"_

_ "__Yeah, a very cute native girl," the redhead said, "with dreamy blue eyes and long, snowy white hair. Damn, she was so pretty I lost one of my blades while watching her."_

_Katarina knew her father had already noticed one of her throwing knives was missing, so she couldn't lie about that either. And she definitely couldn't say that girl had a bow made of True Ice, if she did, the Noxians would go after the girl, kill her and seize the weapon. And young Katarina couldn't let that happen._

_She woke up in the middle of the night, only to find out her father was not in the tent. She went out and saw him mounting his horse, as if he wanted to leave the camp. She caught up to him: "Are you leaving, father?"_

_ "__I have to, Katarina," he said with a heavy sigh, "it's taking us too long. I know about a place where I might find what we are looking for, but I have to go alone. More men could draw unwanted attention. But don't worry, I'll be back in a week or two."_

_He left and didn't return, ever. A month later, a message arrived from Noxus. Swain's summoners found out they were wrong the other time. Now it was definitely known Darkwill used a sort of necromancy, which was far more dangerous, because no one knew how to revert its effects. The entire operation was pulled back, but it had to return without its leader._

"How did you know it was me?" the assassin asked, mentally back in her room.

"Your blade," Ashe replied, "the knife you used, it was the same kind you use on the Fields. I kept it and when we first time met on the Fields, I recognized it."

Katarina was looking at the archer and thinking intensely. She didn't like the company of others if she had no benefit from it, and now it looked like she was going to spend an entire month with Ashe, living in a pretended relationship. She felt it was going to be the hardest month in her life.

"So what do we do now?" she asked.

"I don't know," the Freljordian replied, "people saw us going in here together, so I guess I should stay here tonight."

"Fine," Katarina sounded confused and thoroughly displeased.

"But first we need to tidy your room," Ashe continued.

"You suddenly care for me so much?" the assassin teased.

"No, it's for me," the archer opposed, "I'm not going to sleep in this mess."

"Do as you want," Katarina said and made a step towards the door, "I'm gonna drink something."

"Not so fast, Noxian," Ashe called out to her, trying to sound rough, but laughing at it simultaneously, so she sounded like a cartoon villain instead, "you'll help me with this! Remember I have you in my grasp!"

"Your threatening is really adorable," the assassin said ironically. The Ashe started to laugh and Katarina couldn't help herself, she had to join her and she hated herself for it.

"So," the archer started, looking around the Noxian's room, "where do you usually put your... knives?"

"In my enemies," the assassin stated coldly.

"Oh, Katarina, don't be always like that," Ashe sounded really hopelessly, she only wanted the other woman to cooperate. A moment later, Katarina gave up and started to put her weapons into their secret spots, clothing into drawers and wardrobe. In less than hour, the room was, due to Ashe, suitable for living again. The two set to sleep then, and the last thing Ashe said to Katarina that night was a simple "thank you".

* * *

The archer couldn't sleep very well, the assassin's bed was large enough for both of them, but too hard to be considered comfortable. When Ashe woke up in the morning, she found Katarina lying facing her and looking directly at her with left eye wide open, while her right one was firmly closed.

"Are you watching me?" she asked in shock. The other woman didn't respond at all.

"Katarina?"

She waved her hand in front of Katarina's face, but her pupil didn't move one bit. The assassin was still sleeping. Ashe gently gripped the Noxian's shoulder and shook the sleeping redhead. It worked, Katarina definitely woke up.

"What the fuck is going on?" the assassin asked, still slightly dizzy.

"Do you know you sleep with one eye open?"

"Yeah, it's my own fucking body, how could I not know that?"

"Calm down, I was just asking," the Freljordian said, sounding offended.

"It's because of the scar," Katarina explained, now in a much calmer voice, "the blade damaged some face muscle tissue or something, I really cannot close the eye."

"Maybe if you asked the summoners, they could do something about it," Ashe suggested. The assassin frowned.

"I don't know," she said, "I don't really trust those guys."

"Or maybe you shouldn't," the archer continued, "you look quite badass with it."

"You think so?" the Noxian smiled like a little child, but only for a second, before she realized she had done it.

"Yes, definitely, a big, bad Noxian assassin."

They left Katarina's room and headed for the common area to have breakfast together. When they strolled through the Institute, Ashe grabbed the assassin's hand, so they walked like a couple. Katarina felt a strange mix of emotions, fear, confusion and anger at once. She started crushing the archer's hand with her own, only to see how would the other woman react. Ashe noticed it, she had to, Katarina was remarkably strong. Instead of expressing pain, which she most certainly felt, she just smiled at the redhead. It was a pure, disarming smile, Katarina couldn't help but release the pressure and a slightly sorry look appeared on her face.

They reached the dining hall and found out rumors spread like wild fire in the Institute. From the moment they walked in, all the eyes were set on them. They kissed, this time more gently than before. It was only for show, and they tried to enjoy it as much as two romantically unrelated people could enjoy kissing each other. After the breakfast, they headed to the administration part of the building and stopped in front of a large door with a simple brass sign that read "Internal Relationship Registration Office". Ashe raised her hand and knocked.

"Just a minute!" an absolutely mediocre voice answered from inside.

"Why are we here again?" Katarina asked.

"Champions and summoners come here to register their romantic relationships," the archer explained, "and then the League prevents them from being on the opposing teams in one match."

"Why?" the assassin was still curious.

"Because not even they can force you to kill someone you love," Ashe said, "not even temporarily. So if one team summons you, the other one won't be able to summon me, and vice versa. But we still might be on the same team."

It took at least an hour, then the door opened to reveal Swain and LeBlanc, those two were just leaving.

"Katarina," the general addressed the assassin, "I expected to meet you here, after what happened yesterday."

"Unfortunatelly, I can't say the same," the redhead replied, "how the fuck are you two together?"

"It just happened," the Deceiver said, "similar as you. But we really need to go, don't we, Jericho?"

"Yes, Evaine, we do," he admitted "I hope to see you soon, Katarina."

"Did she just..." Ashe started.

"Order Swain around? I fucking think so," Katarina finished in shock. The two women entered the office. Inside, a short, balding man with very small eyes and equally small glasses, was sitting behind a table.

"Hello," the archer greeted him, "we'd like to register."

The man snorted: "Sit down then."

He opened a large book and found an empty page.

"I need your names," he said and snorted again.

"What? You don't know who we are?" Katarina was startled, she almost took out one of her blades and slit the man's throat, but Ashe halted her hand.

"It's alright, Katarina," the archer said, "I'm sure it's just some bureaucratical nonsense. He didn't mean to offend us."  
"If you say so, sweetie," the assassin said the last word with an edge that made Ashe's skin crawl. The archer shrugged, then dictated the man their names, alongside with their full titles.

"Now I need to know the status of your relationship," the man snorted again, Katarina started thinking he's doing it only for the snorting's own sake.

"Deeply in love and dating for several weeks," Ashe said, Katarina let her talk, it was her goddamn idea after all. Both of them had to fill several very long forms, it took them more than an hour and Katarina found it extremely boring. Fortunately for her, Ashe had no problem with it and not even once lost her temper while doing it with admirable patience. When all the paperwork was done, the two women walked back, they had to prepare in case they would be summoned. Wandering through the building, they ran into Riven, who was waiting for them near the entrance of the common area.

"Hello, Katarina, Ashe," the Exile greeted them.

Katarina wanted to tell the former Noxian to go fuck herself and Ashe sensed something like that could happen, so she swiftly cut in: "Hello Riven."

"I wanted to talk to you, especially to Katarina," the Exile turned to the assassin, "I am very glad you have moved on, and I'm happy for you, honestly. Well, for both of you."

Ashe wanted to say something again, but this time, Katarina was faster.

"And what about you?" the assassin countered, "Have you moved on?"

Katarina slowly walked towards Riven, she got so close she could feel the exile's quickening breath on her own skin. She stood in a very threatening pose, she was taller then the other two women, not much, but she had a way of towering over other people, which she learned from her father, "I heard that you're with that Ionian bitch now. Tell me, does she scream in bed as much as she does on the Fields? Or even more?"

Riven looked at her with eyes and mouth wide open, a terrified expression appeared on her face for a brief moment. Ashe had to intervene once again, she really didn't want something bad to happen: "Katarina! Don't be so rude!"

"I'm not rude, I'm just having fun," the redhead said with an innocent smile.

"Katarina, could you leave us for a while?" the exile asked when she regained her words, "I just want to talk to your girlfriend alone."

"Don't worry, I'll catch up to you as soon as possible," Ashe said, because she felt she needed to say something to play her part. The assassin nodded and then left.

"Are you crazy?" Riven charged at the archer immediatelly after Katarina disappeared behind the corner.

"Riven, calm down," Ashe responded, "why would I be crazy?"

"Because you're dating... her," the exile explained, "I just want to warn you from Katarina. I know she's amazing in bed, but you can't hope to build a strong relationship on that. She'll tear your world apart and leave you broken. I think someone did that to her a long time ago, so she does it too."

"I believe she can change," the archer said, "by the way, I wanted to ask you something. I need a cute nickname for my girlfriend, how did you call Katarina when you were together?"

"Usually 'commander'," Riven recalled with a shrug.

"That isn't very cute," Ashe commented and thought that all Noxians are probably insane.

"I know, but it fit our ehm... relationship well."

"How did she call you? Maybe that could inspire me somehow."

"She called me 'soldier'."

"That is even more un-cute," the archer said and cringed at the thought how sick must their relationship have been.

"I know," the exile admitted, "but you cannot change her, no matter how cute you will call her."

"I feel like I should give it a try," the Freljordian opposed.

"You can, if you want, but you will fail," Riven started to walk away, but then she turned and addressed the archer again, "Hey, Ashe, just one more thing. When Katarina starts wearing her High Command uniform to bed, you should better run somewhere very far away."

"How far?" Ashe asked purely out of curiosity, but the answer she got from the exile made her wish she would never ask.

"I had to go to Ionia," Riven replied, "why else would I volunteer for that suicide mission?"

* * *

As Katarina walked towards the Noxian wing of the Institute, she recalled Swain's words.

"I hope to see you soon," the general said. Not a phrase typical for Noxians, they would never use the word 'hope' in that meaning. It took her only a moment to decrypt what he really meant, but didn't want Ashe to know: "We need to talk as soon as possible!"

She entered his room without hesitation, the general was just feeding Beatrice pieces of raw meat.

"What's up, Swain?" she asked casually.

"You seem to have quite a good mood," he commented on her behaviour.

"I have," she agreed.

"That is the reason why we need to discuss your new relationship," Swain said, "I know you weren't with the Frost Archer the moment the murder occured, so I know everything else about that relationship is a lie."

"And the question is?" Katarina asked.

"The question is why would she help you?"

"I have no fucking clue," she responded angrily, "she told me I'm a suspect, I told her I didn't do it and she said she believed me. Then she did that!"

"Interesting," Swain remarked, "be careful, Katarina, remember that not only she is your alibi for the murder, you are hers as well. You don't know what can you expect from her, she might surprise you."

"No," the assassin opposed, "she's as naive as a kid, she won't do anything unexpected."

"And if she does?" the general asked.

"Then I'll take care of it," Katarina said, "and what about your new girlfriend?"

"What about her?"

"How come you are now dating the League's gossip queen?"

The general sighed, "Katarina, I am an old man, who has sacrificed a vast majority of his life to serving a higher purpose. I deserve at least some pleasure."

The assassin was standing there with her arms crossed, looking at him scoldingly.

"Evaine and I have known each other for a long time, and we have only became closer here in the League," Swain said, sounding slightly apologetically, he knew Katarina considered him something akin to a second father, "and we have a lot of common interests."

"Like digging up shit on people and manipulating them?" she said mockingly.

"Well, that can be a way how to spend time together too," he replied.

"Maybe you should be careful too," she told him before leaving the room.

* * *

Ashe and Katarina had a lunch together as well. After that they parted ways again, there was a lot people watching, so they had to part with a kiss. Even though they weren't a real couple, kissing the assassin was a thoroughly pleasant experience. The Noxian's lips had a unique, sharp and exquisite taste, Katarina tasted like a school crush on the wrong person, the one who's probably going to have a problem with the law later in life. Ashe didn't ask Katarina how she feels about their kisses, she was afraid the redhead might feel offended, and she might also not like the answer Katarina would give her.

In the evening, the queen of Freljord was just passing through the Institute, when a woman in purple suddenly grabbed her arm and started pulling her towards the bar.

"We need to talk," Caitlyn said and ordered drinks for both of them.

"About what?" Ashe asked, still confused and surprised.

"You and Katarina. How could you not tell anyone at all?"

"I don't know," the archer said hesitantly, "I think I was afraid to be associated with her at the beginning, because of her reputation, but now I'm fine with it."

"Interesting," the sheriff remarked, "I didn't even know you're gay."

"Actually I think I'm bi," Ashe replied, she wanted to keep all the options after ending the fake relationship with Katarina, "and I didn't know it neither, until I fell for the hottest lesbian around."

"Tell me about it," Caitlyn said calmly.

"What?" Ashe was now even more confused than before.

"Me and Vi," the sheriff explained. The archer suddenly got it: "Oh, I had no idea you two were a couple. Why don't you tell anyone?"

"Cait's parents are weird," Vi spoke, the enforcer suddenly approached Ashe from behind, "what's up, Cupcake? What were you two chatting about?"

"How Ashe and Katarina ended up together," Caitlyn replied.

"I want to know too," Vi said, "I would've never guessed the two of you could be a thing."

"You said you saw us on the festival several weeks ago, Caitlyn," Ashe was trying to make something up, the sheriff just nodded, "that was our very first date. Then it just happened."

"It's no wonder," Caitlyn spoke in a voice that sounded like she was investigating, "that woman is a sexual predator, you must have been an easy prey for her."

Though she knew it wasn't meant as an offense, the archer felt completely humiliated. An easy prey. She felt like her entire existence was summed up in those words. And it definitely wasn't something to be proud of.

"You know what? I think it's the other way around," Vi said to Caitlyn, then turned her head towards the archer, "you're trying to get her to settle down, right? To give up her bitchy ways and behave like an actual human being."

"How did you know?" Ashe asked, faking a surprised grimace.

"Some girls just have a nose for it," the enforcer said proudly.

"You know what we should do? A double date!" Caitlyn said sounding extremely excited.

"No, Cupcake," Vi opposed, "that's a terrible idea!"

"I don't think Katarina would like it," Ashe joined the debate, "she really isn't much into socializing."

"But what do you think?" the sheriff wanted to know.

"I think it could be nice," the archer admitted, "we never go out together."

"Yeah, I heard you spend only nights together," Vi giggled.

"Vi!" Caitlyn scolded her.

"What? They're the number one topic in the Institute," the enforcer replied, "people talk more about them than about the murder."

"And do you wonder?" the sheriff asked, "We're on a dead end, no new clues, no new suspects, of course they talk about something else."

"Are we agreed then?" Ashe asked, she wanted to leave already, the two other women nodded, "I'll let Katarina know, I'm sure she can find time."

"Good luck with taming the shrew!" Vi called at her as she was leaving, "If you succeed, you will be remembered as a legend!"

* * *

The rest of the day was eventful for Katarina too. After three days, the matches were held again, the pause made everone excited and nervous with anticipation, so now the entire League felt as if it was infused with new life. She was summoned in two matches, both of them ended in her team's victory. A young summoner she encountered in the post game lobby made a stupid joke about her playing so well because she's in love and she almost killed him for that. Now she was just walking around, it was too late for another match but at the same time too early for dinner. When she was near the Institute's entrance, her gaze fell upon a familiar hooded figure. Talon was approaching her with a sly grin displayed all over his face. Her assassin instincts kicked in immediately and all of her muscles tensed at once.

"Don't be afraid," he mocked her, "I won't hurt you here."

"I'm not afraid of you, you fucking coward!" she retorted angrily, "You were always jealous of my superior skills. That I have a natural talent for what we do, that I have a family!"

"Yeah, and you repaid that family by being a dyke," he said with a pure irony in his voice, "how really nice of you!"

"So you're still mad I didn't want to fuck you all those years ago?" she was the one mocking now, "You're so pathetic! My father should have never taken you in!"

"I will be forever grateful to your father," Talon defended himself, "but not to you, you bitch!"

"Then why did you betray everything he believed in, all his principles?" Katarina yelled.

"No one cares for principles nowadays," he said spitefully, "there are winners and losers. Your father was a winner, you are not."

Katarina had to hold her anger now, if she attacked him, she would be punished. She tried to think of something else, but the only other thing coming to her mind was the Frost Archer and pretending to be in a relationship with her. So she tried to think about Ashe, she had to admit the Freljordian was very attractive. Katarina had already thought about bedding the archer, but she was afraid the other woman would be only interested in commitment, so she quickly turned that plan down.

"Hey, are you listening to me?!" Talon half asked, half shouted when she remained silent.

"No," she replied, "I was trying to ignore you, because you're not worthy of my attention, but you showed up to be too much of a dickhead to be ignored."

He wanted to lash out at her, but a voice from behind stopped him: "Do I have to remind you all forms of violence are forbidden outside the Fields of Justice?"

They both looked that direction and saw a man with eyes of different colours stepping out of the shadows.

"If you harm each other, you're going to end up in detention," the summoner finished.

"I don't have time for this bullshit," Talon growled and left. The Demacia-allied summoner then turned to Katarina: "Actually I wanted to talk to you, Sinister Blade."

"I have nothing to talk about with a Demacian," she retorted.

"I am a good friend of your.. ehm... girlfriend," the man continued, "she just wanted me to inform you she wishes to spend this night in your company. She'll be expecting you in her room."

She just nodded and wanted to leave, but the man kept on standing there, as if he was waiting for something. Katarina was thinking about what could it possibly be, but couldn't quite figure it out.

"No need to thank me," the Demacian finally said and headed the opposite direction.

Katarina entered Ashe's room and found herself surrounded by a gentle herbal scent, giving the room a soothing atmosphere, just the thing she needed, though she would never admit it. She swiftly took in the scene, simple furniture and lots of books placed on various shelves made the place look very cosy. Finally she noticed the archer, lying on her bed and reading something.

"Hey!" the assassin said, "You have it quite nice here."

"Hey, come and sit down," the archer pointed at the other side of her bed, "Katarina, what do you think about double dates?"

"I hate them," the redhead admitted.

"Then you're not gonna like our program for tomorrow evening," Ashe said casually.

"What the fuck have you..." Katarina bursted out in rage, Ashe tried to calm her down: "If we don't act like a couple, people will find out we're not."

"Yes but why do we... nevermind, who will be the other two?"

"Caitlyn and Vi."

"Well, at least it's not a straight couple," Katarina said and the other woman chuckled.

"What's so funny?" the assassin asked, slightly annoyed.

"You," the archer replied, smiling.

"Oh, shut up!" Katarina growled, but ended up laughing as well.

"What were you talking about with Riven?" the redhead asked afterwards.

"About you," Ashe answered in a sincere voice.

"That must have been one hell of a talk," Katarina grunted and lied down, as if she wanted to sleep already. The archer lied down too, but there has been something on her mind the entire day since her talk with the exile. She couldn't help herself, she had to ask out of pure curiosity: "Katarina, do you have something called a 'High Command uniform'?"

* * *

**Author's notes: I know it****'s more than a month since I updated last time, but I ended the last chapter in a cliffhanger, so I wanted you guys to wait for this one. I****'m not sorry.**

**So, this chapter kinda explains the prologue, if you were still wondering. I checked the lores of Noxian champions as well as any information about Noxus I could gather to find out what was general Du Couteau doing or where he was when he diappeared, but I found nothing, so I guess it****'s free to interpretation.**

**And I****'m looking for a beta reader, I know my biggest flaws as an author are grammar and random spelling mistakes, so I****'ll want it to be someone with a very good english. And I have no idea how the beta reader system works.**


	9. Chapter 9: Never forget, never forgive

Chapter 9: Never forget, never forgive

Katarina couldn't sleep. Moonlight rays shining through the closed curtains were too weak to do something about her sleep, but the archer's bed was too soft. Some would say it felt like a warm and comfortable embrace, but the assassin felt like she was sinking into it. She was shifting, rolling over and over, but still couldn't find a good position to sleep. And then there was the poro. The plush animal Katarina gave her, Ashe actually used it as a pillow. It was facing her, its glittery eyes and wide grin looked like it was mocking the assassin for the situation she found herself in. She looked at the woman lying next to her once again, the Frost Archer's figure looked so fragile and innocent. Ashe was sleeping peacefully, her snowy white hair spread wide around her, together with the expression on her face creating a scenery of serenity so powerful Katarina almost wanted to touch the Freljordian, to caress her pale skin. She was already scanning the sleeping woman with her eyes, every inch of her enchanting form, why not let her hands join the pleasant experience? No, she couldn't. she didn't trust the archer, didn't know her hidden motives. And she was sure she had some, no one would help her so much without getting anything in return. She just sighed and rolled over again. Then her gaze fell at the poro. The stupid pillow was so annoying she simply had to punch it. She did, and the hit woke up the sleeping archer.

"Mmmm, Katarina, what's going on?" Ashe turned around to face the redhead.

"Nothing... I just really can't sleep."

"Why?"

"I cannot fall asleep in an unfamiliar environment," the assassin complained, "and your bed is too soft."

"I think it's just fine," Ashe said.

"You're soft too," Katarina replied. The two kept staring at each other for a moment, then the assassin spoke: "Fuck that, I'm going to my room."

"I'm going with you," the archer replied. Katarina just looked at her, seeming confused, so she had to explain it: "If someone saw you going from my room back to yours in the middle of the night, they might begin questioning our relationship."

"Alright, let's go then," the redhead urged her.

"Just a minute," Ashe said and picked the plush poro from her bed.

"You're not gonna take that thing into my room," Katarina said in a threatening manner.

"Why not?" Ashe wondered, "It's soft and comfortable, it smells nice and it was a gift from my beloved girlfriend."

"Could you stop with it, please?" the assassin growled.

They left the Freljordian wing of the Institute and slowly proceeded through the Noxian one. They held hands in case anyone would see them, but the only people they encountered were the guards, roaming the building, searching for anything suspicious. A supposed lesbian couple was definitely interesting, although not enough for the guards to keep watching them. When they almost reached the door of Katarina's room, they heard someone move behind them and saw Cassiopeia, looking directly at them.

"Good I've met you both," the serpent woman said, "how is it possible that my sister has a new girlfriend and I'm among the last ones to know?"

"Because it's none of your fucking business," the assassin snarled.

"Calm down, sis," Cassiopeia responded, "I just wanted to know if the rumors are true."

She slithered closer to Ashe and started touching her hair and sniffing her. The archer was visibly scared when the serpent's claws got so close to her face, but she didn't flinch.

"I see why you like her," Cassiopeia continued, she was now looking directly into the Freljordian's eyes, fully exposing her sharp teeth and forked tongue, Ashe was trembling, then she felt Katarina's hold on her hand tightened and it felt somehow reassuring.

"And what a sweet little thing she is," the serpent kept talking, "big, blue eyes, soft pale skin, she looks almost like a doll. She's certainly frail and naive like a child."

"What do you want, Cass?" the assassin asked harshly.

"Well, now that you remind me," her sister said affectionately, placing her hand on her chin in a philosopher-like pose, "I actually wanted to talk to your girlfriend alone, Katarina, would you mind..?"

"Whatever," the assassin entered her room and slammed the door shut behind her.

"You wanted to tell me something, Cassiopeia?" Ashe asked, still slightly nervous.

"Yes, I want you to know that my sister killed one of her two last girlfriends and tried to kill the other one."

The archer was in shock. She knew Katarina was a violent person, but this was too much, killing someone you used to share your life with.

"But only after they betrayed her," the serpent woman added, "so I guess you know what to expect when you leave her. And I'm sure you will."

"I don't plan to leave or betray Katarina anytime soon," Ashe replied.

"That's good," Cassiopeia's voice, threatening at first got softer and she almost whispered, "please, take a good care of her, she needs it. I would do it myself, but she doesn't let me."

"Don't worry, I will."

Inside the room, Ashe found Katarina lying on her bed, though not sleeping yet. She laid the plush poro on the bed and crawled there to lie next to the assassin.

"What did she tell you?" Katarina asked curiously.

"She warned me from you," the archer replied indifferently, "a lot of people did it. Riven, your sister and every Freljordian summoner I met today."

"Just say it already," the assassin grunted, "tell me I'm a cruel bitch!"

"If they found out I lied, they might expel me from the League and everything the Avarosan tribe stands for would be compromised," Ashe said calmly, a gentle smile tugged her lips as she kept talking, "do you think I would risk that much if I saw you only as a cruel bitch? I believe there's much more to you, Katarina."

"Yeah? And what would that be?" the redhead asked, her voice confused and annoyed at once.

"That's only for you to find out."

The Frost Archer's gaze still wandered around the room, examining every wall, every corner. She was lying so close to Katarina she could fell the heat radiating from the redhead's body. The short time the two of them spent together made her think again about her decision to save the Noxian. She knew it was right but after Cassiopeia talked to her, Ashe started having doubts, if it was really worth it. She needed to know one thing to be certain.

"Hey, Katarina, I have one question," the archer said hesitantly and waited for the assassin to roll over and look at her as a sign of agreement, "what were you really doing when the murder happened? Come on, you can tell me now, I still have to lie if anyone asked."

"I guess I can," Katarina replied casually, "I was in Noxus, an assassination mission for Swain."

"Did you succeed?" Ashe asked, wondering why she suddenly cares for an assassination.

"No, it was fucked up," the assassin replied shortly, but immediately started explaining details of the mission and Noxian politics to the other woman. Ashe was looking at her, listening carefully as if she was really fascinated by listening about a bunch of old men trying to backstab each other while pretending they are the best of friends.

"Strange," the archer said, still processing the loads of information she just got, her voice shy and hesitant while she spoke out her assumptions, "I thought you were with a woman. Who was married. To a man. Or maybe with two women. Both of them married."

"So you think I'm the kind of girl married straight women run to for lesbian adventures?" Katarina asked, smirking viciously.

"I would definitely say so," the archer nodded.

"I like that. And no, I was never in a threesome," the redhead replied, still smirking.

"I could really imagine you having two girls at once," Ashe informed her, her face looking like she was imagining it right now.

"I had the possibility, but I prefer one partner in bed. It allows you to engage yourself more," Katarina said, unintentionally making obscene gestures with her fingers, "to give more of yourself into what you're doing, if you know what I mean..."

"Actually I don't," the archer admitted in a low voice.

"Then you should give it a try," the assassin suggested.

"I think I couldn't have sex without love," Ashe half whispered while blushing intensely.

"And I think I couldn't care less," Katarina said, rolled over and pretended she fell asleep immediately.

"Katarina, don't be such an asshole!" Ashe tried to yell while simultaneously keeping her voice low not to wake anyone in the neighboring rooms.

"I'm not listening to you," the redhead exclaimed.

"What did you just say?" the archer asked only to piss the assassin off.

"I said I'm not listening to you!" Katarina repeated.

"Then how is it possible you heard me asking what did you say?" this time, Ashe was the one smirking. The assassin just growled in frustration. Ashe wanted to sleep too, she was quite tired after the long day and being woken up by her supposed girlfriend really didn't help it at all. Katarina was now lying facing the opposite direction and Ashe couldn't help but watch the intriguing Noxian. Once again she had to think about what Cassiopeia told her and reconsider getting this close to Katarina.

"Katarina?" she asked softly.

"Mmmmm..."

"Are you sleeping?"

"What fucking answer did you expect?!" the assassin roared as she suddenly shot up.

Ashe waited for a moment until Katarina calmed down, she didn't want to deal with an extremely displeased assassin.

"Is it true that you killed one of your ex girlfriends?" she asked, trying to sound as calm as she could.

"Yes, it is," Katarina replied, the tone of her voice revealing she is ashamed of it, of herself for doing it.

"I had to do it," she let the confession hang in the air for a while, then continued, "I had no other choice. She betrayed me and my family, so she had to die. That's the way of Noxus, never forget, never forgive."

_Muffled cries were ringing through the dimly lit room of the Du Couteau mansion as three figures approached a woman lying on the ground, bound and gagged. The moment Katarina saw her lover like this, she immediately ran to her and started untying her._

_ "__Fuck, Cass, Talon, what did you do to her? Are you fucking crazy?" she yelled at them._

_ "__We did only what we had to do, sis," Cassiopeia said._

_ "__We found out that she was selling information to our enemies," Talon added._

_ "__No fucking way!" Katarina shouted._

_ "__It's true," her sister confirmed, "now we have to deal with her."_

_ "__What do you mean?" Katarina asked, though she knew the answer, she was just refusing to admit it._

_ "__Kill her," the serpent hissed, "the world must know that even though our father is missing, the Du Couteaus are still strong."_

_The older sister looked at the bound woman, both of them had tears in their eyes. But could she really condemn the one she shared her bed and her life with? She saw the sorry look in her lover's eyes, her fear, her desperation. But she knew that this woman betrayed her and her family._

_ "__Fine," she sighed, "but do it fast."_

_ "__No, Katarina," Cassiopeia countered, "you have to do this."_

_ "__She's right," Talon agreed, "you're the head of the family now."_

_Katarina breathed heavily, she tried to back away until she hit a wall. Now there was dispair in her own face as well. She gulped and almost crumbled to the ground if it wasn't for her sister who caught her._

_ "__I can't do this," Katarina whispered._

_ "__Yes, you can," Cassiopeia replied, "what do you think our father would do? Do you think he'd whine? No, he always did what was right for us, for our family. Blood for Noxus."_

_ "__Blood for Noxus," the assassin repeated as if it was a mantra to give her strength._

_She stood up, grabbed the bound woman and started dragging her out, out of the house, into the streets. This had to be public, everyone should know, what the Du Couteau house would do to anyone who'd dare to cross them. Meanwhile, the other woman managed to free her mouth and cry for help: "Katarina, please, let me go."_

_The assassin ignored her cries._

_ "__I'm sorry, please, have mercy. You don't have to do this!"_

_She just kept on dragging her lover through the dirt._

_ "__Katarina, you're better than this. Just remember all the nights we spent together!"_

_They reached a large square and the assassin proceeded directly to its center. She shoved the other woman roughly onto the ground and pulled out one of her blades. She examined the edge, she knew it was perfect, but she wanted to gain some time._

_ "__Katarina, please!"_

_ "__You betrayed me!" Katarina yelled only to give herself the courage she needed._

_ "__Please..." her lover sobbed._

_ "__I trusted you and you betrayed me, you bitch!"_

_The woman on the ground collected the last remains of her strength, looked up and lightly said: "I love you."_

_ "__I love you too," the assassin replied. Then she cut her down._

_She turned away from the dead body and walked away, not once looking back. She didn't cry, crying was a weakness and weakness was the one thing Noxus couldn't forgive._

* * *

The next day, Katarina was just walking from a lobby after a lost match, feeling murderous. It wasn't just a normal defeat, it was a disaster. Her team lost fight after fight, their teamwork failed entirely. And the worst thing about it was that Katarina realized it was mostly her fault, as a midlaner, she had to face Talon. The other assassin taunted her and mocked her for her failure in Noxus, it made her play recklessly and risk everything only to kill him, but it didn't work. He was able to use it against her and was victorious in all of their duels. Katarina had to change her strategy and started roaming the map in an attemp to get kills on underfed enemies, but she somehow forgot that, compared to her average games, she was underfed as well and the plan backfired on her. She was getting gradually more frustrated and yelled on her teammates during the entire game, which only made them more nervous and careless. They blamed her for the defeat and she knew that, but no way she could admit it to them. So she just yelled at them instead and walked away. She was on the way to her room when suddenly Swain stopped her: "Katarina, may I speak to you for a minute?"

"Here?" she asked, her eyes bearing a clear expression of surprise, "I thought you'd be so paranoid you'd never speak outside of your room again."

"Well," he spoke, entirely ignoring her offensive comment, "this is something I'm quite sure all of my enemies already know. For the past month, there has been a movement within the High Command, trying to dispatch a search party to Freljord in an attempt to find your father or his remains. But in the last few days, the movement ceased as suddenly as it had started."

"You... supported that movement, right?" Katarina asked with anticipation.

"No," Swain replied calmly, "I cannot support someone whose ulterior motives I don't know."

"What if there are no ulterior motives?" the assassin asked almost desperately.

The general chuckled bitterly: "Katarina, it's Noxus we are talking about, everyone there has them."

"I don't," Katarina replied.

"What a shame," Swain muttered under his breath. The assassin didn't seem to hear him.

As Katarina entered her room, what she saw inside made her speechless. Ashe was in there, sitting on the redhead's bed and reading. She was wearing a long dark blue dress, its colour and patterns on it similar to her usual garments and instead of a cowl she had a simple silver tiara placed on her head.

"What are you doing here?" Katarina asked venomously.

"I'm waiting for you," Ashe replied indifferently, her gaze still fixed upon her book as she was just turning over another page, "we have that double date, in case you forgot."

"Fuck that," the assassin growled, "I need to train, I'm not going anywhere."

"Katarina! It's important, we have to be there. I already got dressed!"

"No way! I need to beat something up!"

"You've just returned from a match," the archer remarked, "didn't you enjoy quite a lot of beating there?"

"No, I lost," Katarina admitted, her rage faltering for a moment, then returning in its full force, "that's why I need to vent!"

"What if you just told me what bothers you instead?" Ashe suggested.

"Like if you cared," the assassin growled.

"Sometimes it doesn't matter if the other person listens, only that you talk," the archer said calmly, she was smiling at the other woman, trying to encourage her with both her voice and overall expression, "come sit here next to me and you can talk about anything you want."

"Fine!" Katarina growled once again, "and it's my fucking bed, of course I will sit on it!"

She started to talk, first about her frustration from the lost match and failed assassination, then proceeding to things from her past, like failing her parents' expectations, a foolish attempt to escape the life of a Noxian noble, relationships that didn't go as well as she planned. She kept going further and further back in her memories, revealing years of supressed emotions and lack of simple human contact. It seemed like growing up in Noxus made the redhead rely on anger and violence and this was the first time ever she really opened up to another person. Memories of outbursts and atrocities were pouring out of her, she let all of it out, the stream of confessions left her reduced to a sobbing heap cloaked in her beautiful red hair. Ashe waited till the assassin put herself together a bit, then said what she wanted: "Do you feel better now?"

The assassin didn't know what to say, so she remained silent. She had to admit she was feeling better, but she somehow couldn't bring herself to say it out loudly. Although it looked like the archer already knew that.

"Alright, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but we should really get going," Ashe continued, "wipe your tears and get dressed."

"I wasn't crying," the redhead lied.

"Of course you weren't," the archer agreed. Sometimes, a little lie could only help.

* * *

"Cupcake, what should I wear for the double date?" Vi asked. She was lying on a sofa in her and Caitlyn's shared room. She didn't bother standing up, she knew they still had a plenty of time, but her girlfriend was running around, panicking and searching for her best clothes. No one knew those two shared their room. When they first arrived to the Institute, they got two rooms next to each other, separated by a single, thin wall, Vi had absolutely no problem punching through it. It surely made a lot of noise, but the building's inhabitants were used to much worse, for example from Cho'Gath, so they paid no special attention to it.

"I don't know, Vi, you look pretty dapper in that debonair outfit," Caitlyn replied, digging deep in her underwear drawer.

The enforcer stood up, lazily walked to the other woman and pulled her into an gentle embrace.

"Oh, really?" she asked, teasing the sheriff, "So you like it when I dress up for you?"

"I thought you already knew that," Caitlyn countered, "and you should just get dressed, I don't want to keep them waiting."

"Calm down, Cupcake, we still have an hour to go," Vi sighed and sat back on the sofa, "why do we have to do this at all? Don't get me wrong, I like Ashe, I just don't want to meet Katarina when I don't have to."

"Because when we talked with Ashe yesterday, there was something odd about her," the sheriff explained, "like if she wasn't telling us everything."

Vi sighed: "Cait, she's dating the most notorious bitch in the world. Of course there's plenty of what she's not telling us. Besides, shouldn't you focus on figuring out how to kill a guy who can see the future without him actually seeing the future in which he is killed, instead of analyzing new girlfriend of one of your friends?"

"But really, Vi," Caitlyn replied, "what can we certainly say about their relationship? Nothing!"

"I think we can certainly say Katarina is always on top," the enforcer smirked.

"Vi!" the sheriff started to laugh.

"What? Even I wouldn't dare to top a woman so fierce and aggressive," Vi said thoughtfully.

"That sounds like you've been thinking about it," Caitlyn accused her, but her girlfriend said nothing to defend herself. The sheriff finally found suitable underwear and shoes, then proceeded to her wardrobe and took out two low-cut purple dresses.

"So, which one should I wear?" she asked, expecting a good, solid advice from the pink-haired enforcer.

"I don't know, Cupcake, they look kinda... identical to me."

Caitlyn shot her a very disappointed glance.

"The one on the right?" Vi tried, this time earning a lot more satisfied look from her girlfriend. The sheriff put the other dress back and went to her bathroom, reemerging minutes later completely dressed and with her make up perfectly done. She found the other woman still lying on the sofa as if she hadn't moved a single inch in the meantime.

"Vi, we should really get moving, we can't be late!"

"Alright, alright, I'm going," the enforcer lazily stood up and proceeded to take her own clothing, "I hope Ashe chose a good restaurant."

* * *

"So you're telling me you knew all along those two were dating?" Ashe asked in a doubtful voice.

"Yup," Katarina confirmed, while digging in a pile of clothes, turning her room into a mess again.

"How did you know?" Ashe was extremely curious.

"Well, Vi is clearly gay and I knew she has someone, and those two were spending so much time together, so I put it together."

"Why is Vi clearly gay?" the archer didn't understand.

"Oh, there are some things, you know," the assassin explained.

"Like for example what?"

"This," Katarina stretched out her hand palm down.

"What am I looking at?"

"Short nails."

"Is that a lesbian secret sign?" Ashe wondered.

"Yeah, sort of," Katarina started laughing. Then she looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing her usual leather pants, but this time donned a sleek black blazer instead of leather jacket and a simple black shirt under it.

"Do I look alright?" she asked the archer.

"Almost perfect," Ashe replied, then proceeded to the assassin and unbuttoned three top buttons of her shirt.

"What are you doing?" the redhead asked.

"You're going on a date, Katarina," Ashe explained, "you have to look a bit flirty."

"No, I don't," the assassin said in a seductive voice, "I've already got you."

Ashe was blushing heavily and when Katarina saw it, she started laughing.

* * *

Caitlyn and Vi arrived first to their meeting point in front of the Institute, only moments before the other couple.

"Oh, here they come," Vi said in an excited voice, "and look, Cupcake, they're holding hands. It's so cute, why don't we hold hands more often, like we used to?"

"Because you always wear those stupid gauntlets of yours!" Caitlyn replied nervously. She planned to use the double date to get some information from the other couple, but she didn't want it to look like an interrogation. Ashe and Katarina came closer, the archer greeted them friendly while the assassin just nodded with a displeased grimace on her face. Ashe looked beautiful like a true royal, while her girlfriend wore an outfit similar to her usual attire.

"Hello, you two, what a lovely couple you are," the sheriff said and noticed that Katarina tried to murder her with her eyes.

"So, where are we going tonight?" Vi asked.

"To a really nice place," Ashe replied, "Katarina took me there on our first date. It's here in the town and it's mostly a bar, but you can get a small meal there too."

They entered the inn and found out Ashe had reserved a table for four earlier that day.

"I sometimes forget how amazing you are," Katarina commented it and winked at the archer. Vi nudged her girlfriend and whispered to her how adorable that was.

They sat down and ordered their meals. They talked and laughed a lot, well, at least three of them, Katarina was joining their converation only occasionally, but her effort was still visible. Ashe always smiled at her to show how much she appreciates it.

"How is the murder investigation going?" she asked Caitlyn.

"Not very well," the sheriff admitted, "it seems like there was no one who could have done it. Those who have motive have an alibi and those without alibi have no motive."

"Do you have any clues?" the archer asked again.

"So far Ryze has been the most helpful," Caitlyn explained, "he and Zilean were working on a way to cure the Chronokeeper's condition. He told me the thing Zilean wanted the most was to stop seeing the past, present and future mixed together."

"So you think he might have killed himself?" Katarina asked casually.

"And then hide the weapon in a shaft several meters away?" the sheriff looked at her like she was crazy.

"Sorry I just asked!" the assassin tried to sound offended. She was chewing a partially raw steak and drops of red liquid were soaking through her teeth and running down her chin. Ashe grabbed a paper napkin and wiped the drops, while still genuinely smiling.

"Katarina, you make mess even when you eat,"she said sweetly.

"Luckily this isn't the only thing I'll eat tonight," the redhead replied. Ashe's face instantly turned red and the other two women almost choked on their food. The dinner continued in an awkward silence, which suited the assassin, she could just keep eating without being disturbed.

"So," Vi tried to save the conversation, "you guys still call each other full names?"

"Yes," Ashe confirmed, "we haven't figured out any cute nicknames."

"I don't want to be called anything cute," Katarina said immediately.

"Maybe we can help you," Caitlyn offered and her girlfriend started giggling subtly, "Katarina, what were you called when you were little?"

The redhead had to think, but there was only one thing that came to her mind: "My father used to call me Kat."

Ashe was careful, she knew the assassin's father was a rather sensitive topic: "If your father used it I think it might not be the best idea."

"It'll do just fine," Katarina replied, she knew anything else the other three women would come up could be only worse.

"Great!" Caitlyn said, "Now one for Ashe."

The archer looked at the assassin and slowly spoke: "I remember you called me 'sweetie' once."

"Yes, I did," Katarina observed her with a very cold glare.

"Oh, come on, Katarina," Vi exclaimed, "you have to admit she's sweet!"

"She is," the redhead's eyes softened and she took another sip from her glass, "very sweet."

The conversation went on normally, until the archer had to go to the bathroom. That was the moment Caitlyn was waiting for. She and Vi surrounded Katarina and started 'questioning' her, asking about everything regarding her relationship with Ashe. The assassin felt like a cornered animal, but she knew she couldn't back away from this for the archer's sake. Katarina didn't like being questioned, so she always kept her guard up. Only thanks to this she was able to counter their questions with sarcastic comments that made the other two women uncomfortable. But there was one question she couldn't avoid, no matter how hard would she try: "Why do you like her so much?"

"What?!"

"I asked," the sheriff repeated her question, "why do you like Ashe so much that you settle down for her? You're quite infamous for your wild lifestyle."

"I'm not settling down," the assassin retorted, "well, not completely. And I see Ashe differently than other women because she is. She's beautiful and kind and sweet and smart and she cares for me very much and, yeah, she's kinda perfect."

"Wow," Vi said and stared at the Noxian in awe.

"I really didn't expect this from you, Katarina," Caitlyn added, "you're a very lucky woman."

"Yeah, I know," the redhead admitted.

That was all they managed to say until Ashe returned to the table. They ordered another round of drinks and kept chatting. A while later it was Katarina's turn to visit the bathroom and the Piltovians used this chance as well. It was time to question the Freljordian.

"She loves you very much," Caitlyn told Ashe, the archer immediately lightened up.

"You think so?" she asked excitedly.

"Definitely," the sheriff confirmed, "whatever you're doing, it's working. I would've never guessed I'd see Katarina so calm and... well, human."

"I'm just trying to show her that the world can be a lot better place than she thinks it is," Ashe replied, while the other two women were looking at her, examining her expressions.

"I bet it must be hard," Vi commented.

"Yes, she can be really draining sometimes," the archer said.

"I know what you mean," the enforcer chuckled and poked her.

"No! I mean emotionally," Ashe explained, blushing again, "she acts like she didn't know what to do with her feelings."

"Interesting," Caitlyn remarked, "maybe you could tell us what do you like so much on her?"

Ashe quietly sighed, this was going to be hard. She hated lying and, in fact, she never lied as much as since she started pretending to date Katarina. Fortunately, she could borrow some ideas from what Riven and Cassiopeia told her.

"I like her fierce attitude and that she's proud of who she is, no matter what others think," the archer said with a small grin, "and she's an absolutely amazing lover."

Katarina returned and found the other women chuckling, so she asked: "What's up? I hope you weren't slandering me while I was gone."

"No, of course not," Ashe said, pulled the assassin closer and planted a gentle kiss on her lips.

"We've been talking a lot about Kat and me tonight," Ashe continued when Katarina sat down next to her, "I'd like to hear about the two of you. How did you meet?"

"She tried to shoot me!" Vi shouted.

"You were breaking the law, Vi."

"Yeah, and your heart in the process."

Caitlyn and Vi started making out and Katarina averted her gaze, she has never been too fond of other people's happiness.

"I guess it's much more interesting than meeting here in the Institute," Caitlyn said, trying to elicit some reactions from the other couple.

"In fact we didn't meet here for the first time," Ashe said,immediately catching the attention of the others, "there was one time in Freljord, many years ago."

"I didn't know about that," the sheriff admitted, "tell us more."

"Yes! Yes! We need to know more!" Vi joined her.

Katarina gladly let the talking to Ashe, and the Freljordian told everything from her perspective and didn't leave out any detail. Katarina knew Ashe tried hard to depict their first encounter more romantically, but she didn't mind. In the end, it was the goal they were trying to achieve.

"So you saved her life and then, years later you two met again here in the Institute and fell in love. That's so romantic!" Vi gushed.

"But why were you in the Freljord in the first place, Katarina?" Caitlyn asked.

"Can't tell you," the assassin replied, "top secret Noxian military bullshit."

They remained silent for a short while and then the sheriff was the first one to speak: "I wonder what would you do if only one of you made her way into the League, considered that you are perfect soulmates and the universe clearly wants you together."

Ashe looked at Katarina and then at Caitlyn, thinking about what the Piltovian just said.

"Well, I hardly think the universe would want us together, it was just a lucky coincidence," she said, "and I really don't know what would I do without my Kat at my side here."

"I know exactly what would I do," Katarina replied, "I would drink a lot and fuck a lot of women, just like I did before I started dating Ashe. And about her, I'm pretty sure she would date Vi."

The enforced almost fell down from her chair, "What? Why do you think that?"

"Well, because she's much prettier than Caitlyn," the assassin retorted. She managed to kill the conversation entirely with that one comment.

Minutes later, after the couples silently split the bill and left the inn, Katarina and Ashe were slowly walking towards the assassin's room. They didn't hold hands this time and there was a deep, guilty silence between them.

"You were so rude, Katarina," the archer finally said, her voice didn't sound scolding, but very sorry instead, "you were rude to me and to my friends."

"I'm well aware of that!" the redhead growled.

"You made me sad," Ashe said, but Katarina didn't react, so she continued, "do you want to make me sad?"

"I don't care," the assassin responded.

"You don't?" the archer asked her softly. Katarina looked at the woman walking beside her, Ashe's features stood out in the weak light and looked even more exquisite than usually, but her face was sad.

"Maybe I do," the redhead admitted, "but only a bit."

"A bit is sometimes enough," Ashe replied and smiled.

Katarina wanted to tell her something so badly, something nice, something from the heart, but she struggled to find the right words and even when she thought she finally had them, it was hard getting them out.

"Hey, Ashe," she started sloppily, "I just... want you to know that... I'm getting used to you, you know, to having you around and stuff..."

_"__Oh, fuck, that was awkward!" _the assassin thought.

Ashe ignored the awkwardness and any possible misinterpretations and replied genuinely: "I'm starting to like you too, Katarina."

* * *

**Author's notes: So, till now no one has figured out the murder. I****'m a bit disappointed, I thought I made it quite easy.**

**Caitlyn and Vi are the most often paired lesbian couple in the LoL fandom and I think it****'s quite easy to understand. As Katarina said in this chapter, Vi is clearly gay, there are many sign to it. For example her haircut is similar to those stereotypicaly associated with lesbians, her debonair skin too and the fact she calls Caitlyn "Cupcake" also gives away that those two are more than just friends. I almost feel like Vi was made as a token queer character, which is good, but it doesn****'t quite work for me.**

**On the other hand, I like to see Katarina as a lesbian, mostly because she is my favourite champion, but not only for that, I feel like she has some sort of lesbian vibes, if you know what I mean. I also tried to read fics with straight Katarina, but I didn****'t like it. Straight Kat is usually a shallow, one dimensional charcter or the well known and overused "cute attention seeking troublemaker girl, who just needs a man" trope, which is very bad and I think she deserves a better portrayal than that.**


	10. Chapter 10: Checkmate

Chapter 10: Checkmate

Ashe was walking from the post game lobby, feeling slightly nervous. Katarina was supposed to wait there for her, but she didn't show up. So now, the Frost Archer was strolling through the building, looking for the redhead. Ashe's team won the match, and it was mostly thanks to her. She had talked a lot with other champions in the lobby, so she thought that Katarina was just bored and left. Ashe was just on her way to the common area, when she ran into her old rival.

"You're a coward," Sejuani said with spite in her voice, "attacking my people, ambushing our villages and stealing our food when we barely have enough for ourselves!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ashe tried to defend herself, but it didn't work.

"So you still act like you're the best of us just because some old fool lay a crown on your head?"

"Well, he probably knew what was good for our country."

The boar rider charged at her with a roar, but Ashe was able to stop her: "Those attacks you're talking about, that wasn't my tribe."

"Who then?" Sejuani asked confused.

"I don't know."

Ashe found Katarina at a bar, there was a shot of booze standing in front of her, waiting for her to drink it.

"Hello, Kat," the archer greeted her.

"Hello, sweetie," she replied. All the heads in the room suddenly turned their direction.

"Drinking again?"

"Yup, got a problem with that?"

"In fact I do," Ashe said, her voice had a deep, concerned tone, "it isn't good for you."

"I was fine till now," the assassin responded, smirking at the archer.

"Oh, come on, Kat, you're better than this," Ashe gently touched Katarina's shoulder, "if you go with me now, you can do whatever you want with me."

Ashe said it in a whisper-like voice, yet still loudly enough for the people around them to hear. Katarina understood what game was the archer playing. It was something she would never refuse were they in a real relationship, so she had to obey the Freljordian if she didn't want to blow her cover.

"I'm looking forward to it," she grinned.

* * *

They started spending a lot of time together. Right now, they were in the Noxian's room, Ashe was sitting on the bed and Katarina was exercising. She was doing push-ups, and at each high point she tried to peek under the skirt of Ashe's outfit. The archer had one knee bent, so the assassin had quite an unrestricted view on her panties. Katarina was only wondering, if Ashe knows about it. Probably not, but it didn't matter as long as she could enjoy the sight. Some time later, she finished her workout, stood up and headed to her bathroom.

"Hey, I'm gonna have a shower," she told the archer, "wanna join me?"

Ashe didn't know what to say, her face immediately turned red.

"Oh, relax, I was just joking," the assassin said, laughing.

When she came back, she sat on the bed beside the archer.

"What are you reading about?" she asked.

Ashe looked up for a moment and put something as a bookmark into the book. She observed Katarina's expressions, the redhead looked genuinely curious.

"Well, a lot of things," the archer said calmly, "adventure, relationships, love..."

"Love is selfishness," Katarina said, maybe without even noticing she spoke out loudly, "thinking you can own another person."

"No," Ashe opposed, "love is the most beautiful thing in the world, the greatest sacrifice anyone could make, giving up everything for the one you love, because you know she deserves it."

Katarina chuckled.

"What?" Ashe asked.

"You just said 'she'," the assassin remarked.

"Yes..." the archer stuttered, "yes, I tried to tell it from you perspective."

"You should read too," Ashe continued after a short while, "maybe you should try it instead of drinking."

"I don't think it's for me," Katarina replied with a sorry face.

"Reading is for everyone," the archer said, then left the room and returned minutes later with a quite thin, but remarkably old book.

"You should start with this one," she said as she handed it to the assassin, "it's an easy and fun reading, you could like it."

Katarina took the book and examined it, she read the title: _The Freljord Tales_.

"This is a book for kids!" she exclaimed, "You think I'm fucking stupid?"

"No, Katarina, I don't think you're stupid," Ashe sighed, being with the assassin was hard, though she knew she already helped her make a step towards other people, "Look, it's my favourite book, my mother used to read it to me when I was little. It means a lot to me and I would be truly happy if it meant something to you too."

Katarina looked at the book again, this time more carefully, then she put it on the nightstand next to her bed.

"Maybe tomorrow, it's kinda late for reading now."

"I agree," Ashe said and put her own book down as well.

Katarina shifted in her bed to move into a more comfortable position. The top of her pajamas slid up in the process and revealed a part of her midriff. She felt the archer's gaze upon her, lingering on her perfect abs.

"Found something interesting down there?" she asked with a smirk.

"Oh, no, only your tattoo," Ashe said, sounding confused, "I wondered when and where you got it and if there is any story to it."

"Yeah, there is," Katarina sat up again, "I was just assigned as a commander to a troop of new recruits, we were sent to capture a small town on the Demacian border. It was our first fight, our trial by fire and we won, so we decided to celebrate a little. The next thing I remember was that I woke up in a bed next to a slut, my head hurt as hell and my side just a bit more and I had this ink."

"So you don't like it?" Ashe asked.

"I got used to it," Katarina replied.

"I like it," the archer commented, "I think it fits you quite nicely."

"You don't have to say that only to make me feel better, you've already done enough for me."

"I really meant it, Katarina," Ashe gently placed her hand onto the other woman's shoulder and felt a slight flinch under her touch.

"Why are you so tense?" she asked the assassin.

"I dunno," Katarina replied, "guess I'm just really uncomfortable around other people, unless I fuck them or fight them."

"I understand the first one, but why fighting?"

"It helps relieve the tension."

"Let's fight then," Ashe said with a smirk.

"Wha-?" Katarina didn't manage to finish her question when she was hit by a pillow with such force she almost fell down from the bed. Seeing the gaze on the assassin's face, the archer almost immediately regretted her decision.

"You shouldn't have done it!" Katarina growled. She quickly teleported behind her and shoved Ashe into the blankets, hitting her with another, smaller pillow. When she stopped, she realized the archer was laughing. She sat up and hit Katarina again, the redhead of course repaid her and that's how the greatest pillow fight in the history of the League began. They fought for quite a while until the archer fell down tired. Katarina rejoiced in her victory and Ashe in the fact that she let her win. They just set themselves to sleep, when the assassin asked: "Hey, wanna have some fun?"

"I think I've had enough fun for a week tonight," Ashe replied and rolled over.

"I meant an entirely different kind of fun," Katarina whispered sensually.

"I won't have sex with you, if that's what you're implying," the archer said resolutely.

"But... why not?" the assassin was left wondering.

"I already told you I can't have sex without love."

"Of course you can, everyone can, so what's the problem? Am I not pretty enough for you? Or are you straight? Oh, come on, no one can be _that_ straight!"

"It's very late, good night, Katarina," Ashe said calmly.

"I haven't had sex in two weeks," Katarina exclaimed.

"Oh, what a tragedy!" the archer said ironically.

"I really need it!" the assassin squealed.

"Then do it yourself!"

"Fine!"

Ashe rolled over to the other side and waited for sweet dreams to come, but they didn't. After a while, she heard soft noises, like something was moving next to her. She listened a bit longer and heard another sounds – very quiet moans.

"Katarina? What are you doing?" she asked with a hint of terror in her voice.

"Just, ah, what you told me," the assassin replied.

"Oh, gods, I didn't mean right now!" the archer said, sounding slightly, only very slightly angry. The other woman didn't respond.

"Could you stop it?"

"Nope."

"I'm leaving," Ashe stood up and headed to the door, "and tomorrow you can explain to the entire Institute why your girlfriend is leaving your room shortly before midnight, I'm sure they will be very curious."

"No, please stay," the assassin said. "I'm, ahh, almost done."

"Stop what you're doing, then I'll stay," the archer told her in a very serious, almost threatening tone.

"Fine, you won," Katarina replied as she wiped her fingers with a bedsheet, "you're cruel, you know, maybe even more than me."

"I don't think so, Katarina," Ashe now sounded almost amused.

"I think I'm gonna cheat on you."

"We aren't a real couple so feel free to do that as much as you want."

"Gossip spreads very fast in here you know?" the redhead smirked viciously as she was saying it, evil plan already forming in her head, "And I certainly wouldn't want to be known as the one who can't keep her girlfriend in line, if I were you. Because if one person can't be loyal to her, how could an entire country be?"

"Katarina, you don't blackmail me into having sex with you," Ashe replied resolutely.

"Don't I?" the assassin was still smirking.

"No!"

"Fine, I got it! Good night!"

When Ashe woke up, she noticed there was something wrong. She was still in Katarina's room, but she felt somehow differently. She soon discovered a large wet stain on the front side of her night gown, right around her private parts.

"What is this?" she asked the assassin as she pointed at it.

"I don't know," the redhead replied, "we had sex last night, so I think we got a little wet."

"No, we didn't," the archer said.

"Maybe you just don't remember it, because your mind wants to repress those memories."

Ashe smelled the stain, it had absolutely no scent.

"It's just warm water," she said.

"Oh, how clever you are," Katarina replied and started laughing.

"This isn't funny!" the Freljordian exclaimed, looking very annoyed.

Much to Katarina's surprise, Ashe behaved like she was seriously offended even after they left the room. As they walked through the Institute, they didn't kiss or hold hands. Whatever Ashe felt, she projected it into every touch, word or even look towards the Noxian. People noticed, of course they did, keeping a secret in the League was almost impossible. They had breakfast together and while picking their food, they started arguing. It wasn't a very intensive quarell, Ashe was trying to keep her voice down, but the tone of her voice clearly gave away her feelings. She exchanged her usual kind and supportive words for sarcastic remarks. The worst thing about it was that Katarina actually felt sorry, which was completely unlike her. Nothing in years had made her sorry, not even the most horrible actions she had to carry out in the name of Noxus, so why this young woman who meant almost nothing to her? Was it Ashe's frailty? Or was it possible that the assassin didn't know herself quite as well as she thought?

Luckily for her, she was supposed to be summoned soon, the match could distract her mind from the wrong thoughts. She focused on the game and channelled her anger to make it work for her. She played so aggressively and violently just the look on her face terrified her opponents. It was a short game and the victory didn't improve her mood, not in the slightest. As she was leaving the post game lobby, Katarina noticed a pink haired figure walking beside her.

"You were kinda grumpy today," Vi, who was her team's jungler in the last game, said, "I mean, more than usually. Troubles with your girlfriend?"

"Why do you care at all?" The assassin retorted.

"You're dating one of my friends," the enforcer explained, "and I've heard some bad rumors this morning."

"It's my fault," the assassin said suddenly, "I did something fucking dumb and now she's mad at me."

"Get her some flowers," Vi suggested, "chicks like her love it."

Katarina looked at her as if she was crazy.

"You think flowers can solve the biggest fight in our relationship?" she asked.

"Yes, of course," the enforcer said, "I've done loads of stupid stuff which made Caitlyn mad and I've always settled it down with a nice bouquet. It's not the flowers that count, but the effort, you know, the gesture."

"Oh, I see," the assassin nodded, "I'll go ask her what flowers she likes."

"No, you can't do that," Vi halted her, "you'll ruin the surprise."

"What? I should ambush her with a bunch of flowers?" Katarina asked in a mild shock.

"Something like that," the enforcer laughed, "except you'll be nice while doing it."

"Got it, thanks," the assassin turned on her heel to leave.

"What has she done to you?" Vi asked, chuckling.

"What?" Katarina didn't understand.

"You just said 'thanks'."

"Oh, forget about it!"

Katarina thought this might work even despite the fact she wasn't really dating the Frost Archer. She knew she was still in danger from the murder investigation, so she couldn't afford to have Ashe mad at her. She had to admit the truth – she needed the archer. If what Vi told her was really the truth, Ashe could accept the flowers as an apologetic gesture. Katarina was an assassin, she was precise, she always looked for the best solution. This time, the best solution required the best flowers, and she knew exactly where to find them – the Institute's gardens. And on her way there, she encountered her sister.

"I heard some weird sounds coming from your room last night," Cassiopeia said, "I mean, other than the usual kind of weird sounds coming from your room."

"That was Ashe and me," Katarina admitted, "we had a... pillow fight."

"Oh, really? Katarina, are you feeling well? Aren't you sick?" her sister gently placed her hand on Katarina's forehead as if she was trying to find out if the redhead had fever, while she was barely containing her laughter.

"You're fucking hilarious, sister," the assassin said ironically.

"Where are you going now?" the serpent woman asked.

"To the gardens, to get Ashe some flowers," Katarina replied, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

"What did you do?" Cassiopeia asked, suddenly extremely intrigued, "Did you shout out other woman's name again?"

"I only did that once! It was years ago and I was drunk, could you stop mocking me for it?"

"No, I couldn't, have fun."

* * *

The assassin slowly entered the gardens and found herself overwhelmed by the mixture of delicate scents that dominated the place, the secluded inner part of the gardens was in fact a giant greenhouse, separated from the rest of the Institute by an ornamented gate. The atmosphere inside the greenhouse was gloomy, its entire construction encircled by blossoming vines shielding it from all the light with their leaves. Katarina was convinced the plants are watching her and as she was closing the gate behind her, she could swear to all the gods she didn't believe in that some of the vines actually moved. Walking forward she was treading carefully in order not to trip on one of the countless roots protruding from the ground. She was taking in her surroundings, all of the unique plants from the furthest parts of the world. She tried not to touch anything, because she knew lot of those plants were poisonous, as far as she knew, those were Zyra's most favourite ones. Now that her eyes got used to the dim light, Katarina could see better what she was really looking at. The trees and stronger plants grew at the walls of the greenhouse, their vines and branches intertwining, intricately tangled together. They were creating some sort of shield to protect the more fragile plants growing inside, living together in a prefect harmony as a single organism. The assassin was so enthralled she almost forgot why she came there in the first place. She also noticed was she considered to be tables, shelves and pedestals on which smaller plants were placed, were in fact parts of the trees too. They weren't carved into the roots, they grew that way as if they were directed by powerful magic. Katarina was especially intigued by a large dark flower, which had petals red as human blood. The assassin felt so drawn to it as if it was hypnotizing her, she could stare directly at it for hours and she most probably did, until some distant screams distracted her.

"NO! Let go of me!" a high pitched female voice yelled.

Katarina followed the voice deeper into the greenhouse and soon found herself in an intriguing scene. There were fragments of shattered flower pots lying all over the ground alongside dead plants torn out with such power there were still huge lumps of earth hanging from their roots. It looked like the Witches were hanging out there, when something went terribly wrong. Syndra was the centre of all the attention, screaming at everyone while being restrained by two summoners. In the opposite corner stood Zyra, who was yelling at the Dark Sovereign, while Morgana and LeBlanc were holding her back.

"What happened here?" a resolute voice intervened, it was the voice of summoner Arlos.

"She! She happened" the Rise of Thorns shouted, "she destroyed some of my most precious flowers!"

"No, I won't be tormented again!" Syndra yelled in return, she looked terrified, there were now five of the dark spheres running around her, instead of her usual three, and they were all circling her dangerously fast in frenetic, uneven motions.

"It was none of their's fault, summoner" LeBlanc got involved, "Syndra just got a little panic attack, nothing serious."

"Right," Arlos replied, "maybe you should take her somewhere safer."

"We'll do," Morgana said, then she and the Deceiver escorted the Dark Sovereign from the greenhouse.

"And what about you?" the summoner turned to Zyra.

"What about me? What do you mean, what about me?" she yelled at him, though a bit less loudly now that Syndra was gone, "I'm innocent in this, but maybe you should keep her locked up with the other dangerous beasts."

"Look, I think you should just calm down," he replied.

"I should calm down?" she repeated after him, "like this doesn't concern you at all? Do you even know how many of my plants go into those potions used on the Fields? And she just crushed them! These ones grow only in Ionia and now they're all gone! This could cripple the League for weeks!"

"I'll talk to High Councilor Kolminye at once," Arlos promised, "I'll do anything necessary to resupply you."

"Well, thank you," Zyra spat sarcasticaly. Then she turned to Katarina: "And what are you doing here? I've never seen you here before."

"Yeah, because I've never been here," the assassin replied.

"That's exactly the point I was trying to make," Zyra said.

"I want some flowers," Katarina spoke hesitantly.

"For your girlfriend?" the Rise of Thorns asked with a sly grin, "I heard your honeymoon phase is over."

"What?" the assassin couldn't quite understand.

"Well, I heard you two looked so happy together it was getting suspicious," Zyra made it clear while she was still grinning, "so what flowers do you want?"

"I don't know which ones she likes," Katarina sadly admitted amd the other woman chuckled. The redhead was looking around for a moment, then pointed at a plant across the room.

"Give me some of those, they're pretty," then she pointed at several other flowers and Zyra every time added some to the bunch. Katarina wanted to pay, but then she learnt that just as everything else in the Institute, this is also paid by the League.

* * *

Ashe closed one eye, she could clearly see her target in front of her. It was the end of an arrow already stuck in the wood. She was an exceptional archer, she could hit the center of the painted target with every shot. To make it more of a competition with herself, because no one else would compete with her, she was trying to slice the first arrow in half with the next one. She narrowed her stance and pulled the string of the training bow with such force she could feel the tension in it. She slowly breathed out and released. The arrow swam through the air and hit its target perfectly.

She was shooting at several targets at once, pretending they are her enemies. She was dodging their imaginary attacks and changing her positions, shooting form jump, lunge or squat. Yet she wasn't as focused as she should be, the only thing she could think about was Katarina. Since she started pretending she dates the assassin, she knew it would be difficult, but saving Katarina's life still felt like a higher priority to her. But why was the redhead doing... whatever it was she was doing? Why couldn't she behave like everyone else, not being rude to others, not spilling water on sleeping women? It surely wasn't that hard, it only seemed like Katarina lacked the right motivation. Ashe wasn't half as mad as she was showing, she just wanted that Katarina learns how to deal with people, and she wanted it for the redhead's own sake. And there was another reason why she wanted everyone to think she is angry. Some of her people thought she and Katarina got together very well, so well it was actuallysuspicious, and they told her that. So by arguing with her supposed girlfriend she could show them that even this relationship had its ups and downs.

It was already evening, Ashe was just pulling out another arrow, when she heard light footsteps behind her. She turned around immediately only to see Katarina sneaking behind her.

"I guessed it would be you," Ashe said, intensely observing the other woman.

The redhead was blushing heavily as she was hiding a huge bouquet behind her back. It was so big Ashe could clearly see what it was and the fact Katarina was still attempting to hide it made her smile. There were other champions in the training area and when Katarina came closer to Ashe, they started watching them.

"I brought you some flowers," the assassin stated humbly while handing the bouquet to the archer.

"So you think just because you give me something nice everything is fine between us again?" Ashe asked strictly. She wanted to forgive her, but realized it shouldn't go so smoothly.

"Yup, Vi told me it works that way," Katarina replied.

"It doesn't," the archer replied sharply, she could feel that many eyes were on her right now, "I'm still mad, Katarina, and I'll be for a while. But these flowers are truly beautiful."

"Just like you," the assassin said and Ashe couldn't help herself but feel a hint of honesty in her voice, maybe she could use it as a point of her forgiveness.

"Stop it, Katarina," the archer continued, "you have to realize that what you say might hurt others."

"Yeah, I know, that is exactly the reason why I say it most the time," Katarina replied, smiling again, "now, do you want a hug?"

Ashe burst into laughing and the other woman soon fell in line.

"Yes, that might be just the thing I need," the archer said, "I had a long day after all."

* * *

The next day, several matches were cancelled due to the lack of supplies, but it was said others are on their way from Ionia already. Katarina was just sitting in her room, doing nothing. She was already exhausted from working out and Ashe wasn't there, so she had no one to tease and make fun of. She looked around herself cluelessly, her gaze wandered on her nightstand, where a thin book laid. The assassin suddenly picked it up and slowly started reading. The very first story in it was the story of Avarosa, a brave warrior woman and a great leader of her people from a time long past. She and her sisters led the people of Freljord against the Frozen Watchers and vanquished them, but then there was a strife between them, separating the nation into tribes. It was said that Avarosa wielded a bow made of True Ice, and she was also believed to be immensely beatiful, so when Katarina tried to visualise the story, she imagined Ashe posing as her legendary ancestor.

The other stories in the book looked all the same to the redhead, most of them were about Braum. Braum saving children from a burning house, Braum helping an old lady cross the woods, Braum taking care of stray cats, Braum fighting an entire tribe of evil barbarians using only his mighty shield and his even mightier moustache. However, at the very end of the book, there was a story completely unlike any other. It was dark and gloomy, and told of an ancient evil creature known as the Ice Witch. Rumors said that she used to sleep in a coffin made of black ice during the day, because at night she would go out and steal children, who disobeyed their parents or didn't want to go to bed when they were told. It was also said she had giant ice claws and could freeze an entire village in minutes. When Katarina finished reading this story, she found out there were no others left, she read all of them in one day. It was a late afternoon, and she really had nothing to do, so she left her room and started wandering around the Institute.

* * *

"Queen Ashe, may I talk to you for a moment?"

Ashe turned around. She was in a post game lobby after her team had lost. It wasn't her fault, it wasn't anyone's fault, her enemies played outstandingly well. Simply the better team won, and this time it wasn't the team the archer was in. She was just about to leave, when she heard the voice of a familiar Demacian summoner behind her.

"Summoner Balah," she addressed him, "you already made it clear that you disapprove of my relationship with Katarina, so is there anything else you want?"

She didn't want to be too harsh, although she felt like she should be, because he was interfering in her private matters, but on the other hand, she didn't want to lose his friendship either.

"I'm sorry if you mistaken my remarks as something offensive," he said, "I just don't trust Noxians and therefore I'm worried for your safety."

"Kat is different," Ashe countered, "she is very nice to me... or at least she's trying."

"I'm happy to hear that," the summoner replied, "and that is why I wanted to talk to you. Do you know why many summoners consider champion couples an unfortunate idea?"

"Because two such powerful individuals could destroy the entire building upon breaking up?" the archer guessed.

"No," the summoner replied calmly, "it's because fighting alongside the person you love can dramatically improve your abilities."

"And why are you telling me this?" she started blushing, she knew exactly where this conversation is heading.

"There will be a very important match I'm participating in tomorrow," he said, "and I know one of my fellow summoners plans on summoning the Sinister Blade. The other team will have a couple too, so I hoped to summon you to balance our chances."

"That's a good idea," Ashe agreed, "I like playing with Kat. We are agreed."

* * *

"Focus, Katarina," Swain said, "it isn't that hard, you just need to think."

The assassin was in his room, cluelessly staring at a chessboard with a puzzled look on her face. She could only barely keep up with the moves the general was doing, she lost several vital pieces and only took him pawns in return. There was no doubt why he was called 'the Master Tactician'.

Katarina moved her remaining rook to attack a lone standing pawn, but right after that it was immediately lost to one of Swain's bishops. She just sighed: "This is pointless."

"You didn't see it coming?" he asked, mildly amused.

"Hell no!" she replied angrily, "how could I? I'm not a fucking magician!"

"It's quite easy in fact," he said calmly, "don't just watch the game, watch the player too, his eyes, his expressions, his hands, whether he moves the pieces with confidence or haste. And you're a very hasty player."

"Why don't you play with your girlfriend then?"

Swain remained silent, it looked like the remark caught him unprepared.

"Well," he said finally, "our playstyles didn't fit together too well."

"She's better than you," Katarina grinned, "admit it, Swain, admit it!"

"Maybe she defeated me several times, but it doesn't change anything on the fact that I like to play with you and teach you," the general spoke in a voice that reminded Katarina of her father. He told her that through learning more about strategy, she could improve her position on the Noxian political scene. To move from being a chess piece into someone who moves them.

"So you're basicaly telling me that I'm a pawn," she said disappointedly, "thank you very much."

"No, not a pawn, more like this," he replied, then grabbed one of the discarded pieces and showed it to the assassin. It was carved to resemble a tiny horse head.

"A knight?" Katarina was wondering, "Why a knight?"

"They are fast, versatile and effective, just like you," Swain said, then he made a short pause, "tell me, Katarina, do you know, who invented the game of chess?"

"It's a war game, so I'd guess it was one of ours," she replied with a hint of hope in her voice.

"A Noxian? No, guess again."

"It requires a lot of patience and wits, so maybe an Ionian?"

"A Demacian," the general said and the assassin was honestly surprised.

"I know it is hard to believe," he continued, "but it makes sense, the game reflects their black-and-white view of the world. There are the good and the bad ones, them and us. And if it wasn't enough, they still think they are entitled to make the first move. But I have to admit there are some clever ideas to it too."

"Like what?" Katarina asked.

"The king," Swain started explaining, "his movements are very limited, he's more of a burden for his faction and an easy target. I like to see this as a mockery of the traditional hereditary monarchy system. In fact, in this game, the queen holds the true power."

They sat in silence for a while, as if Katarina was still thinking about what he said.

"Do you want to continue?" Swain asked.

"You know I'm bad at this," she replied.

"Try to think about it as an assassination mission," the general suggested and pointed at a white king on his side of the chessboard, "and the king is your objective."

"So I'm supposed to kill the king of Demacia?" the assassin smiled, "I like the idea. I thought about doing it in real life too."

"Me too," Swain admitted, "I have considered every possible option and found out that it can't be done. Or at least not without a little help from the inside, but where to find a Demacian who would want the king dead?"

They went back to their game, Katarina made several frustrated moves before they heard knocking on the door.

"Come in," Swain said in a neutral but still very strict voice.

The door opened and revealed the Frost Archer.

"Hello, general Swain, hello, Kat," Ashe greeted them.

"Hey, sweetie," Katarina replied. Swain just raised his eyebrows in disbelief when he heard that.

"Good afternoon, queen Ashe," the general said afterwards, "I believe you wanted to talk to Katarina."

"Yes, I did," the archer confirmed, then she turned to the assassin, "I just wanted to tell you that we have an important match tomorrow."

"I'm looking forward to it," Katarina smiled, "couldn't you just tell me later?"

"I could, but I wanted to see you," Ashe said and smiled back.

"That's sweet!" the assassin replied excitedly.

"Anyway, I see you're having fun, so I'll get going. Love you," the archer said and turned around to leave.

"Love you too," Katarina replied.

"How adorable," Swain remarked ironicaly when the door closed behind the Freljordian, "what was that farce about? Doesn't she know that I know?"

"She knows that you know, I had to tell her," the assassin responded, "but there might have been people in the hallway who could've heard it."

"Very clever," the general had to admit, "was it your idea or hers?"

"I don't know," she looked at him with suspicion in her eyes, "what are you implying?"

"Nothing at all," Swain stated and moved another piece on the checkboard, "I just want you to be safe, and I noticed that you like her."

"No, no way," Katarina denied it, then she returned to the game too, "like you said, it was just for show."

"Don't lie to me, Katarina," he scolded her, "we both know that what you did today far surpasses your acting abilities. And we also know that bad things tend to happen whenever you like someone."

"You don't have to remind me, Swain," the assassin growled, "I have enough memories."

"Alright," the general said calmly, "I only want that you know what are you doing."

"Don't worry, I do," Katarina said resolutely, while she looked him right in the eye.

"I don't think so," Swain grabbed his queen and move her forward until she was facing Katarina's king, "checkmate."

* * *

**Author's notes: I really wanted to get this chapter out sooner, because though it is a bit weird, I think it goes quite well with the last one. The reason why it is out only now is that I was stuck on binge watching the entire new season of _Orange Is the New Black_ the last weekend. That reminds me, could you guys advise me some good lesbian movie or TV show? I****'ve run out of procrastination material. Thanks. :)**


	11. Chapter 11: The Passing Time

Chapter 11: The Passing Time

Katarina muttered silent curses under her breath as she was slowly treading towards the bottom lane. She started on the mid lane, as she did most the time, and her opponent was Veigar. Fortunately, the Tiny Master of Evil showed up to be a tiny challenge, the assassin scored two kills on him right in the beginning, and another one on his team's jungler, Sejuani, after a failed attempt to gank her lane. Katarina believed that the mages in the League underestimated physical training. It surely didn't help them with their abilities, but it could still be an advantage. Beside physical strength they couldn't match other champions in speed, especially if their legs were as short as Veigar's. And Katarina was brutally exploiting it. She managed to dodge all of his magic attacks and once she got closer to him, she made a short work on him. Now he was dead again and she could safely leave her lane, not affraid her turret would be in danger, because upon his return, the mage will have to deal with her minions swarming under his one. And she had to leave, one of her team's bottom lane summoners called for help to their jungler Shen, but the ninja was busy on the top lane, trying to fight off already fed and angry Darius. It was up to Katarina to help.

She was running through the river, she wanted to take her enemies by surprise and cut off their escape route. So now she was running through the river, the water was slowing her down and her boots were full of it. Why there must be a fucking river in the middle of the battlefield? As she was approaching the lane, she saw Ashe and Leona being chased by Draven and Lux. Katarina wanted to hide in a bush by the river bank and as she entered it, she noticed a small object standing in front of her.

"Fuck!" she cursed, because it was an enemy ward, and she knew what would follow.

She stormed out of the bush, knowing the the enemies spotted her and she lost the element of surprise. Lux charged at her immediately, trying to immobilize her with her light magic, but Katarina teleported behind her and knocked her down. She had the perfect opportunity to finish the Demacian, but she didn't do it, she went for the main prize instead. Until the assassin appeared, Draven had the the upper hand in this fight, Leona was covering Ashe with her shield, while the Noxian executioner was bombarding them with his axes. Right now he was holding only one of them and Katarina was going to take an advantage of it. When Draven positioned himself to catch the other axe, she charged at him, kicked him right in the gut, punched him in the face and when he hit the ground, she caught the axe and striked him down with his own weapon. Meanwhile, Lux picked herself up from the ground and started running into the safety of her turret. Surprisingly, Katarina didn't run after her, instead she just gestured to the Frost Archer: "She's all yours, sweetie."

Ashe aimed and killed the retreating mage with one accurate shot, then she turned to Katarina: "Hey, Kat, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I just thought I'd stop by," the assassin replied, trying to sound casually, rubbing the back of her head, "say hello and maybe kill someone."

"How very nice of you!" the archer said in an overly excited voice and Leona rolled her eyes when she heard it.

Upon the urging of her summoner, Katarina told Ashe she needed to go back and headed to her lane. While passing through her jungle, she encountered Sejuani fighting a golem in the assassin's jungle. She realized the only reason the enemy team summoned the boar rider was that she hated Ashe. Relying on the champions' personal feelings towards others was quite a usual tactic in the League.

"Hey, bitch!" Katarina called at the Winter's Wrath, "That's my jungle you're in!"

Sejuani didn't respond as she was still fighting the golem, so the assassin kept taunting her. She threw a knife at her, it dug into her boar's side. The animal roared wildly and started running towards Katarina with such speed it left her barely any time to escape. She tried to teleport away, but miscalculated it and hit her leg quite badly upon impact. Sejuani missed her first time, but now she was coming back for her. The assassin had no possibility to run, so she just closed her eyes and braced herself for the worst. It didn't come, she only heard the boar rider being struck by a giant ice arrow that covered her in frost. Ashe appeared soon afterwards and then said to Katarina: "She's all yours."

The Noxian smiled at her and swiftly finished her enemy, before heading back to her lane.

"Wait," Ashe stopped her, "you're hurt, you need to recall."

"No," Katarina opposed, "I have to go back, or that little cunt will get my turret."

"We can go together," the archer suggested and the other woman agreed.

They approached the middle lane through the river and hid in the bushes, waiting for the right moment to strike. Veigar just crushed a line of opposing minions and proceeded to siege the turret. Ashe ran out of the bush, immediately followed by Katarina. A volley of arrows and a flurry of blades quickly killed the minions, so the turret had to focus the yordle mage. The magic blasts were burning him, so he tried to run away from the turret, but Ashe's arrows were slowing him down. He raised his staff to cast a series of powerful spells, and Katarina knew he would first stun the archer with his dark energy cage and then obliterate her. The assassin had a perfect option – she could kill Veigar easily, but it would almost certainly cost Ashe life, or she could safe the Freljordian, unaware of the mage's plan. She quickly shoved the archer out of her spot and ended up stunned instead of her. Katarina closed her eyes, she knew her enemy called upon his magic powers and cast a powerful spell on her. She died again on the Fields, and the last thing she heard this time was the announcer saying that Ashe managed to kill Veigar.

The game continued quite well after that, Katarina scored several more kills and was the first one to destroy an enemy tower. Her team was far in the enemy territory, struggling to make their way to the inhibitor. The assassin hurried to help them, she ran along the mid lane, when suddenly Sejuani emerged from the jungle, glaring daggers at Katarina, her boar growling threateningly, and the Noxian almost didn't manage to dodge her. Almost.

"Did I scare you?" the Winter's Wrath taunted.

"A bit," Katarina retorted, her lips curled into a very sly grin, "it's your face, I really have hard time telling you apart from the pig of yours."

Sejuani roared with rage, she charged at the assassin and swung her mace to strike her down. It was an angry attack, not a calculated one, so Katarina just sidestepped with ease, the head of the mace dug into the ground inches away from her feet. Besides, she managed to slice the boar's side, leaving a large bleeding wound. The animal's fur around it was turning red very fast. While forcing her badly hurtboar to make a sharp turn, Sejuani also tried to pull the mace from the ground. Katarina stepped on the chain in the right moment and the Winter's Wrath ended lying in the dust. Then, the assassin just finished her swiftly.

Her team was retreating, the fight didn't go well for them despite having two tanks in it. Draven and Veigar were coming after them, but Leona managed to stun both of them, and by the time they could move again, their enemies were gone. But Katarina considered this to be a good chance for two more kills, so she immediately started running after them. She caught them under their inner turret, she wasn't hurt, so she could risk diving it. Once there, she unleashed her feared Death Lotus. The yordle mage fell at once and the Noxian executioner was supposed to follow him soon, but he somehow managed to knock the assassin down. He was ready to go for the kill, but then a giant arrow made of ice slammed into him and he was defenceless. Katarina quickly slit his throat and then ran away to safety. She knew two more enemies were out there, so the safest place to recall from would probably be the jungle. As she was running between the wild trees and rocks, she noticed a ward standing in the tall grass.

"Oh, shit!" she swore.

She turned around to run away, but then there was Lux. The blonde Demacian blocked Katarina's way and started channeling energy for her Final Spark. The assassin was trapped in a narrow alley between two solid blocks of stone and the only escape route was too far, she wouldn't make it that way. But she knew what to do, instead of trying to flee, she ran towards her enemy. She teleported behind Lux shortly before the huge beam of light could burn her to ashes and ended the mage's life with a flurry of blades. Katarina peeked out of the jungle for any impending danger and saw a line of her team's minions passing her, it meant she should be safe by now. As she returned to her lane, she saw Ashe coming closer to her.

"Kat! Are you all right?" the archer asked in a deep, caring tone.

"Yeah, thanks for saving my ass," the Noxian said and as Ashe came closer, Katarina cupped her cheeks and pulled her in for a very passionate kiss.

"It was a great shot," the assassin added, looking the now blushing Freljordian directly in the eyes, "I almost forgot how stunning you are."

It was indeed a terrible pun, but combined with sensation and confusion from the kiss it made her chuckle. The two then pushed forward, destroying the inner turret of their enemies before Katarina finally decided to recall.

The game went on. Katarina killed several more enemies and was killed one more time. She was also helping her jungler slay the dragon, which was completely unlike her and she had no idea why she was doing it at all. Right after she was done with it, she recieved a plea for help from her teammates. While the teams struggled for dominance over the mid lane, a single enemy, Darius, managed to push very far forward, taking down a turret and rallying almost an army of minions behind himself. Katarina's allies were caught off guard, only Ashe and her support were able to offer some resistance, but they were fighting against an entire team. Katarina rushed to help them, she ran through the jungle, where she encountered Sejuani. The Winter's Wrath struggled to get the enemies' red buff, but was already tired from fighting the monsters, so she posed no threat to the assassin. Katarina killed her with ease and got the buff for herself.

Only a moment later, the assassin finally reached the lane, the situation there was disastrous. Ashe stood alone, Leona seemed to die just a moment ago. The archer was fleeing for her life, she was badly wounded and bleeding, but she didn't give up without a fight. Her enemies were chasing her slowly and relentlessly, there were many arrows protruding from their wounds, parts of their armor were covered in ice.

The turret they were struggling to destroy released one last charge of magical energy before it collapsed. The enemies quickened their pace to go after the Frost Archer and left Katarina no other option than to act. She ran to them and teleported among them, then she started spinning on her heel and unleashed all of her blades. Throwing knives were sent flying through the air, they dug deeply into the flesh of her enemies. Lux and Veigar dropped down dead almost instantly, Draven was a bit tougher and Katarina was terrified when she found out that Darius managed to escape and was now chasing Ashe down. She stopped her attack while Draven was still alive and set him on fire with her summoner's ignite spell. She teleported as far away as she could, then flashed further and after Draven finally died she used her Shunpo ability again. She got so close to Darius, but still not close enough, he just pulled Ashe to him with the hook of his axe, she stumbled and fell to the ground. Katarina unsheathed an extremely sharp knife, one that she kept as her last resort. She threw it with a deadly accuracy and hit Darius' neck, slicing his jugular right as he raised his axe to end the archer in front of him.

_"__Pentakill! Ace!"_

As soon as Katarina got to Ashe, she helped the archer back on her feet.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yes, of course, Kat, only thanks to you," Ashe responded with a genuine smile. She watched the Noxian in front of her very carefully, examining the expression on Katarina's face. She couldn't fathom whether the assassin was being sincere or just playing her part.

"Recall, now, before something kills you," Katarina urged her.

"Kat, you've just scored a pentakill!"

"I don't care, recall, it's not safe here for you!"

"I meant there is no one left here to kill me," the archer explained, but still started channelling her recall spell, "I'll be back in a minute."

* * *

From that point on it was an easy game, Katarina was running around the Fields, killing enemies wherever she encountered them. And after she scored the ace, so much time without enemies gave her team a considerable advantage. They triumphed easily, as only several minutes later the opposing summoners decided to surrender, ignoring the loud protests of their Noxian champions. There was an aura of general frustration in the post game lobby, radiating from the defeated faction. They were rude, hostile and their "good game"s were quiet and forced. Surprisingly, Sejuani was the first one to approach the victorious team. She came closer to Ashe and Katarina with a smirk on her face.

"Well played," she spat, "for lesbians."

Katarina got angry in an instant, she felt her blood boiling in her veins. She would hit the Winter's Wrath in the face if it weren't for Ashe, who was holding her back.

"Yeah? I'm pretty sure you fuck that boar of yours!" the assassin yelled back. This time Sejuani lashed out and had to be restrained by summoners.

"I hate that bitch!" Katarina commented.

"Strange," Ashe remarked, "you never said you hate her before."

"Well, maybe I hate her just for you," the assassin said in a very seductive voice. Ashe chuckled awkwardly, she was quite sure she was blushing, so she tried to keep her cool and just say something: "I thought you like bitches."

"You know, there are two kinds of bitches," the Noxian replied

"And those are?" Ashe asked curiously.

"The bitches I like and the bitches I hate," Katarina briefly explained.

"Where do I belong?" the archer asked with a concern clear in the tone of her voice.

"You're too nice to be a bitch," the assassin replied, without even realizing what she said, so she quickly added, "don't take that as a compliment."

"Don't worry, I won't," Ashe said with a smile.

They looked around. Out of their enemies, Draven was the one most devastated by their defeat. He was sitting in a corner, fighting sobs, Lux was next to him, trying to comfort him, saying that he is awesome and Katarina had cheated, because she couldn't have beaten them without it.

"What's up with them?" Katarina asked as she pointed at the unlikely duo.

"You don't know?" Ashe replied with a question, "Those two are the couple of the other team."

"What? No kidding, right?" the assassin seemed completely shocked, "Well, I knew that girl was dumb, even for a Demacian, but still, Draven?"

"It is really strange," the archer agreed as they walked towards the Noxian's room, "don't judge me, Katarina, but I want to know more."

"I'm the last one who'd judge you for that," the redhead replied with a smirk, "maybe I'll go ask her later."

"No," Ashe stopped her, "you would only scare her, I'll talk to her."

It was already late afternoon when she finally managed to find Lux alone. She spent quite a while wandering around the Demacian wing of the Institute. She met summoner Balah here, who congratulated her on the last match. He said it was a long time since he saw her play like that and she didn't know if it was a compliment or not. He also said that her sync with Katarina was amazing and the entire Institute is thrilled to see the two of them play together again. She told him that their victory was achived mostly thanks to Katarina and that she played only a minor role in it. The summoner looked satisfied with her answer. Ashe continued the search for the light mage, she ran into her just as Lux was entering her own room.

"Lux?" the archer spoke.

The mage jumped at the sound of her own name, her face looked like she was hiding something.

"Hey, Ashe, I didn't expect you here," Lux stuttered.

"I remember we used to talk from time to time," Ashe said.

"Yes, but that was before you started dating a Noxian bitch," the Demacian retorted.

"Funny how you seem to be dating one yourself, isn't it?" the archer smiled victoriously.

The light mage sighed: "Fine, I guess I have to tell you some things. Would you care to come in?"

Ashe followed Lux into her room, it looked really lovely inside. There were beautiful potted flowers on the windowsill, the bed was made and there were two books lying on top of the light blue bedsheets. Ashe also noticed it was genarally light and tidy, much tidier than her girlfriend's, well, Katarina's, she definitely meant Katarina's.

They both sat down and Lux slowly started talking: "You know that I was a Demacian spy before I joined the League, right?"

The archer nodded.

"I still am," the mage confessed, "and I'm dating Draven only to get him to tell me some important intel. He's a real idiot, he sells top secret information of his country for simple compliments without even realizing it."

"You are playing a very dangerous game, Lux," Ashe said, "be careful that you don't burn yourself. And why did you choose Draven in the first place?"

"I was taught that a chain is only as strong as the weakest link, and it's definitely him."

"Makes sense."

"First I thought it was Katarina," the light mage continued, "so I tried to seduce her to get her talking."

"What? You slept with my girlfriend?!" Ashe pretended to be in shock to hide that she could barely hold her laughter.

"Ashe, I'm sorry," Lux almost cried as she was telling it, "it was only once and a long time ago, before you joined the League, before you started dating her."

"Did you at least found out what you wanted?" the archer asked.

"No. The morning after, as soon as she was done with me, you dearest girlfriend kicked me out to the hallway. I was still naked."

Now, Ashe couldn't hold herself anymore and erupted into laughter.

"Couldn't you just bend the light around yourself and become invisible?" she asked the light mage when she stopped laughing.

"I could, but I was so freaked out I remembered I could do it only after I was halfway here and all of the Noxians saw my bare butt," the Demacian said sadly, "please, don't tell Katarina what I just told you, she would kill me if she found out."

The archer had to admit this girl whimpering here in front of her had already suffered enough from the red haired assassin.

"Alright, I won't tell her."

"Thanks," Lux replied, "but you could have known that I am not really dating Draven."

"Really? How could I know?" Ashe asked in a confused tone.

"We didn't sync at all on the Fields," the light mage admitted, "but you and Katarina, that must be a true love."

"It is," the archer confirmed, not knowing if she was lying or telling the truth.

* * *

Katarina was lying on her bed, thinking about everything and nothing, almost bored to death. She laid on top of the blankets, she found out her bed was made when she returned to the room. But she never made her bed, what was the point in it? She would still have to disrupt it if she wanted to sleep. But as she saw the bed made, a small smile crept on her face. She knew Ashe had made her bed, and it was nice knowing that someone was thinking about her, someone cared about, probably. Although the archer most likely did it for her own comfort. So Katarina just lied down and got bored. She wondered what she usually did when she got bored. It was quite easy, she either went to the bar and got wasted, or went to the bar, picked up some girl and had sex with her. Now she couldn't do neither of those two options, because she was taken, or pretended to be taken and also that her supposed girlfriend doesn't like when she drinks too much. The second thing was probably truth, Ashe did show a general level of interest in the assassin's bad habits. But it was probably only because the Freljordian was... Katarina sighed,.. a good person. The Noxian missed it, the drinking, the sex, all the fun stuff, she almost felt like she was in a real long term relationship.

Katarina rolled over and found herself on Ashe's side of her bed. It smelled nicely there, just like the Freljordian did all the time. If she just could... _no,_ she said to herself. After she rolled over into her current position, she noticed her right hand ended up rested on the lower part of her stomach. It felt warm and comfortably there, but she was thinking if she could move it just a bit more lower. She did it, her fingers were slowly sliding into her panties and upon a touch, she found out she was wet down there. Very wet.

_Fuck, I haven't done this since I was fifteen,_ she thought. It almost surprised her how easily her index and middle finger slid inside, and how good it felt. The touch, the sensation, being filled again after what felt as a lifetime of abstinency. She started slowly, first pulling her fingers out a bit, then pushing them back inside, softly rubbing her walls, in and out, while she was rubbing her clit with her thumb, in and out, in and out. She continued as she felt the pleasure growing inside of her, her other hand moved under the loose black top she put on when she returned from the Fields. Her hand found her breast and cupped it, simultaneously kneading her nipple between her fingers. She bit her lip as she felt the sensation building up in her, and arched her back when a sudden wave of heat ran through her body, she even let out a quiet moan. She felt a need to quicken her pace, the thursts of her fingers, her private parts were soaking with warm fluids. Katarina knew she was almost done, she was moaning more and more with each thrust.

Then, suddenly she heard a soft click, as if someone was pushing the doorknob of her room. She rolled over again and fell from the bed, but on the far side of the room, where the visitor couldn't see her immediately. It gave her time to make herself look more presentable. She rose from behind the bed only to find out that it was the Frost Archer who entered her room.

"Katarina, what were you doing?" Ashe asked with suspicion evident in her voice, she sounded almost terrified.

"Nothing," the assassin was blushing and breathing heavily, yet she still attempted to sound as innocent as she could.

"Okay then," the archer said awkwardly and proceeded to the bathroom, only to give the other woman more time to pick herself back up.

"So, what did you find out?" Katarina asked her when she came back.

"I found out that you were right," the archer lied, "she is that dumb."

"I heard that stupid girls are often attracted to men with giant egos," the assassin remarked indifferently, "so I guess those two are meant for each other."

"Exactly," Ashe lied again, this time with sadness written all over her face. Lying made her feel badly, she didn't know why but especially lying to Katarina.

"Ialso found out that you had some fun with her too," the archer added.

"So she told you?" the assassin smirked viciously, "I hope you're not jealous."

"No, no, not at all," the Freljordian stuttered while she was blushing intensely.

"I only did it to piss her brother off," the redhead continued, "wanted to do it since I found out he had a huge crush on me. And that blonde willingly participated."

"What a nice person you are, Katarina," Ashe said ironically.

They sat there in an awkward silence for a while, as if each of them was buried too deep in her own thoughts. Katarina was the one who interrupted it.

"I'm bored," she whined like a child.

"I hope you're not going to beg me for sex again," the archer said with a hint of frustration in her voice.

"No, I just want you to recommend me some books," the assassin replied with a suspicious smile.

"Really?" Ashe asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, you did say that reading is for everyone, right?"

"I did."

They headed to the Freljordian wing and into Ashe's room. The archer went to search her bookshelves instantly, while the assassin was just looking around. She was there only for a second time and didn't remember the first one very clearly. She marveled at the amount of native Freljordian art Ashe surrounder herself with. There were not only paintings and ceramics, but also carved barbarian masks, large round shields covered in war paint and ritual weapons of many different tribes, including blades, spearheads and axes.

"So, what would you like to read?" the archer asked her.

"I don't know," the assassin replied unusually calmly, "maybe something similar to my own life."

"So a lot of meaningless violence and equally meaningless sex?" Ashe asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, exactly," Katarina chuckled.

"I might have something for you, then," the archer pulled a book bound in dark brown leather, "this might be what you are looking for, but the main character is a straight woman."

"Fucking heteronormativity," the assassin swore under her breath.

"So that's a no," Ashe said and continued searching, "maybe I have something even more interesting for you."

Katarina turned to her and came closer, so the Freljordian could continue: "It's a book series, very long, so far five books, it has violence, sex, many good, relatable characters and even some lesbian stuff, but you will have to wait for it. So what do you say?"

"You got me at the lesbian stuff," the Noxian smirked.

She took the first book from Ashe's hands, it was very thick and bound in a blue hardcover. Then she proceeded back to the archer's bed and sat down.

"Katarina, is there something wrong?" Ashe asked in a concerned tone.

"No, nothing," Katarina responded, "it's just that painting. What does it even mean?"

The painting the redhead was pointing at depicted a leafless tree, standing in the middle of a snowy plain, being bent by strong winds, and mountains in the background. The tree and mountains looked static, but the wind and skies were painted by a strange technique, depicting it as swirling patterns of white, grey, and blue. Ashe sat beside Katarina, they were almost touching at that point, and started explaining: "This painting symbolizes the passing time. The fact that our own lives are small and insignificant in comparison with the height of the mountains and the length of the ages. It also mean that no matter how much we change, the Freljord remains the same."

In this sentimental moment, with a single teardrop forming in the corner of her eye, Katarina asked: "Do you think I can change?"

"I think you already did," Ashe replied, carefuly choosing her words not to hurt the Noxian, "otherwise you wouldn't ask me that question."

Katarina leaned closer to the archer, the sides of their arms gently touched and she set her head on the Freljordian's shoulder. In a moment, Ashe could feel a warm and wet drop fall on her arm, and she instantly knew what it was.

"Thank you, Ashe," Katarina whispered.

* * *

**Author's notes: Hello, guys, sorry it took me so long, this should have been up almost a week ago, but I had to fight a minor writer****'s block. So, in order to finish this chapter, I slept only 4 hours the last night :D And I went to bed at time when normal people already wake up to go to work, but those are the advantages of a student life.**

**That strange autoerotic scene was added at the last moment, I guess that since I already had to change the rating, I****'ve decided to use it ;)**

**And I****'ve got myself a Tumblr account, though I still haven****'t quite figured out how to use it, so I****'m only reblogging things I like.**

**So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and feel free to let me know what do you think about my story :)**


	12. Chapter 12: Turning Pages

Chapter 12: Turning Pages

Katarina slowly brushed away the leaves in front of her and peeked out of the bush she was hiding in. She carefully observed the top lane in front of her, waiting for the enemy. The scenery was static for a while, only gentle blows of the wind were moving the lower branches of trees. Then the minions appeared, they relentlessly moved forward just as pawns in chess, changing their direction only when they were about to attack an enemy. Those were the allied minions and they kept marching to the enemy territory. Their movement was suddenly slower, as if they were freezing to the ground. Then they were pierced by a sprear made of dark ice and the enemy finally showed her face. It was Lissandra, moments ago she scored two kills on the toplaner and jungler of Katarina's team. She was losing the fight for her lane, so she retreated under her turret and her enemies went after her. She casted her ultimate on herself, what protected her and slowed her pursuers, who were killed by the tower soon afterwards. The top lane was already halfway lost and the Sinister Blade secured hers, so she headed there to retaliate.

"Alright, she's here," Katarina said to Ashe, who was hiding in the bush behind her.

"Let's go then," the archer suggested.

"What about a kiss for good luck first?" the assassin asked with a grin.

"Kat, the summoners can see us!" Ashe replied amusedly.

"I know and I don't care."

They kissed and right after that, Katarina stormed out of the bush to attack her enemy. She dodged all the attacks, razor sharp shards of ice and freezing claws going after her feet. She wanted to distract the mage, so Ashe could fire as many arrows as possible. While avoiding another spear of ice, the assassin teleported behind her enemy and slipped on the frozen ground. Lissandra towered over her and prepared to deliver the killing blow. Then Ashe attacked, she took out an arrow, aimed and shot, it struck the mage's torso and dug deep into her icy skin. A second and a third one soon followed, shot with a deadly accuracy, they left the mage in an agonizing pain. Lissandra turned around to face this new threat and Ashe carefully took a step back just as her enemy was about to lash out at her. She stretched out her arm to cast another spear of ice at the archer, but then Katarina reappeared in front of her and kicked her arm, which caused her to miss Ashe completely. The assassin dodged another attacked and unleashed all of her blades, she quickly added a kill to the five which she already earned in this game. She had some minor wounds after the fight, so she drank a health potion Ashe gave her, then she headed back to her lane. The archer chose to stay there, she wanted to take care of the massive wave of enemy minions that were swarming under her team's turret.

Katarina ran alongside the river back to the mid lane. She had the upper hand from the beginning of this match and managed to begin her 'roaming phase' quite early, but she knew that she left for too long this time. She saw it was true when she came back and hid in the bush near the river. Her turret was under siege and Swain stood behind the minions like some kind of overseer, helping them with an occasional blast of magic. She emerged from the bush and he turned to face her, he must have heard her, ruining her element of surprise.

"Katarina, how nice of you to join us finally," he said, mocking her with every word of that sentence.

"Oh, shut up Swain," she snarled in response.

She teleported behind him, but he anticipated that, he had already cast the spell that would root any enemies in that area. This time, the assassin was a step ahead. She immediately used her summoner's flash to get right in front of him, so close that she could clearly see the drops of sweat forming on his face. She knew how nervous he would get when anything didn't work out according to his plans.

"Pretty impressive," he said with pretended calmness.

"Not as much as this," Katarina smirked, kicked his cane away and as he started falling, she drove a blade between his ribs and right into the heart.

It was an easily acqired kill, she didn't even need to recall and heal after it. She kept on slaughtering the minions one after one as she was slowly drawing closer to Swain's turret. It was heavily damaged from her previous attacks, so now she only finished the job and watched as the tower exploded. She knew Swain will be pissed off when he comes back, and he was.

"Katarina, didn't your father teach you how to treat old people?" he asked with a vicious tone in his voice.

"No, but he taught me how to kill them," she grinned, "he said I have to stab them harder, because old meat is tough."

This time, he was making it hard for her, she had to calculate her every step, every movement of the minions while dodging his attacks. When she tried to avoid another claws erupting from the ground, she misstep and lost her balance. Then she was hit, she felt the stinging pain from magical burns in her left shoulder, she retreated under her turret, but Swain went after her. He slowed her and she really started losing hope, when suddenly an icy arrow sailed through the air and dug into the general's side. Ashe ran to Katarina, she wanted to know if the assassin is all right. Then they attacked together, they destroyed the lines of minions very quickly and proceeded to attack Swain. The general knew that he should retreat, but his pride didn't allow him to. He noticed that both Katarina and Ashe were hurt from previous fights and he knew how to exploit it. With a loud screech he turned into his bird form and attacked with a flock of ravens. His enemies had to run, but the aggressive birds cut off their way. Katarina leapt to Ashe in an instant and pushed the archer to the ground, protecting her with her own body. She was in a terrible pain, the birds attacked ferociously, clawing her and cutting her with their sharp beaks. She endured, she felt like she had to. Suddenly, Ashe lifted her head and whispered something to Katarina, but the assassin couldn't hear her.

"What?" she asked in an irritated voice.

"I said spin me at him!" Ashe replied.

"Okay, hold on!"

It was barely more than an instant as she lifted the archer and turned them both around, so that they were facing Swain. Ashe already prepared her bow and shot him with a giant crystak arrow that froze him in place. Katarina didn't hesitate either, she immediately teleported to him and unleashed her Death Lotus. She was throwing all fo her blades at him, until the grass on the battlefield turned red as her hair. The ice melted and the general was soon free. He was visibly in pain an badly hurt, but he clinged to life. Katarina wanted to attack him again, but then the enemy jungler, Rengar, leapt from the jungle and tackled the assassin to the ground. Ashe took out another arrow and killed Swain with one precise shot, then fired another one at Rengar. It sunk into his shoulder, causing him to roar in pain. Katarina used the moment he was distracted and buried a knife into his neck, his warm blood poured right on her face. She quickly teleported away, only an instant before the Pridestalker's huge body could collapse on her.

"So, this worked out quite well," she said as she approached the Frost Archer.

"You think so?" Ashe asked, pointing at the fact that Katarina was completely covered in blood.

"Definitely," the assassin replied and burst into laughter. The archer soon followed, so they stood there like a pair of bloodied laughing fools.

* * *

Form then it was easy, the two of them kept on working together and each of them earned more kills than the rest of their team together. Ashe was well aware that Katarina was stealing her kills, but she let it slide. She knew that arguing would bring her nothing, besides, seeing the assassin happy as she reveled in the blood and gore was a sight to behold. They won the match with a great advantage and all they could hear was congratulations from their team, enemies, and summoners alike.

"They've been summoning us together quite often lately," Katarina said as they were on their way to her room.

"Yes, I noticed it too," Ashe nodded, "I asked a summoner about it and he said that it's because of how you play when you're near me. They feel you're very protective of me."

"That's bullshit!" the assassin retorted.

"I know," the archer agreed, though a small smirk appeared on her face, "but do you remember losing any games in the past week?"

"We just had luck," the Noxian grunted, as if she was annoyed.

"I thought you don't believe in luck," Ashe remarked, her smirk slowly turned into a cheeky grin, because now she had Katarina right where she wanted her.

"Oh, whatever!" the assassin growled in frustration and then remained quiet.

They were already close to the Noxian wing, when Katarina suddenly pinned Ashe against the wall and started kissing her hungrily. The archer gave in to the touch, they were still in the hallway and there were people watching them, so the entire kissing thing was only for show. She felt a strage, tingly sensation as the assassin's hands clasped her sides, the sensation shot through her body and made her spread her mouth wide open. Katarina used that and quickly slid her tongue inside. Ashe first gasped in surprise, then started enjoying it and brushed her own tongue against the redhead's. She didn't know what to do with her hands, she never knew in situations like this one. She stretched them out in an awkward motion and then stopped, not sure where to place them on the assassin's body. Fortunately, this time Katarina helped her. She grasped the archer's right wrist and guided her hand upwards, until her fingertips touched the Noxian's crimson locks. Then she took Ashe's other hand, placed her on her own hip, then pulled it down and further forwards, so it ended up on Katarina's butt. Then, the assassin siganlled her to squeeze her buttcheek and the archer did it, despite that weird feeling. She tangled her fingers into Katarina's hair, it was dry and felt harsh to the touch, just as the assassin herself and Ashe was left wondering how is it possible that her kisses are so soft and gentle. All those women she spoke to, she discussed Katarina with, all of them said that the redhead is an amazing lover. But how could it be? How could this angry and cruel woman be so giving and soft towards her lovers? What was Katarina hiding underneath all those layers of aggression and supressed emotions?

Their kiss came to an end as they both needed to take a deep breath. They still stood close to each other, holding each other, observing each other with their eyes wide open. Katarina was grinning like a teenager, while Ashe was blushing intensely, she couldn't see her own face, but she knew that right now her cheeks were the same color as the assassin's hair. Katarina grabbed her wrist again and started pulling her towards her room, as if this was just a foreplay for some 'bedtime adventure'. Ashe stopped her: "You go forward, I need to get something."

"Hurry up," the redhead replied in an excited voice that made the other woman shiver, "I can't wait."

Her feet carried her to the Institute's library, said to be the biggest one in the entire world. Hundreds of nations and cultures contributed to its magnificent collection, only to be remembered by the future generations. Its shelves were cracking under the weight of all those books, some of them were ancient, they hadn't been opened for ages, their pages were glued together and they were covered in dust. Ashe finally got where she wanted to, a small and relatively new section, holding only about two dozens of books. She stood there and observed it hesitantly, as if she was too shy to actually touch the books. There was a certain book that peeked her interest. She reached out for it, but then pulled her hand back.

"Are you gonna take it already?" someone behind her said.

"What?" she twitched and turned back, where she saw a young girl in a purple robe, a low ranking summoner who probably worked in the library.

"I've been watching you," the girl spoke, carefully choosing every word not to scare the archer, "you've been coming here every day for the past week, every time stopping on the exact same spot, every time looking at the same row of books and every time leaving empty-handed."

"Well, I don't know," Ashe said shyly, "is it strange?"

"We usually don't have people taking books from this section," the summoner said, but given the... ehm, situation you're in, it's not that strange that you're interested in these."

"Thanks," the archer took the book and left.

* * *

Katarina was alone in her room, sitting in an armchair and reading. She was already on the second book from the series, she finished the first one in a few days. It was really great, though she was a bit shocked when the main guy died, but it somehow made the story better, more interesting. Minutes were passing quickly as she was delving into the complicated plot of the book in her hands. The amount of betrayals and backstabbing in it reminded her of Noxus, her home. Yet she was here, fighting fake battles in order to maintain the fragile peace of this world, occasionally sharing her room and time with one of the most beautiful women she ever met, and she was slowly realizing she was falling for her.

The door of her room shot open and Ashe walked in, holding a thick book in her hand.

"Hey, where have you been?" Katarina asked her.

"In the library," the archer replied casually, "I just wanted to grab some interesting reading."

"You say that like your room wasn't full of books," the assassin said and the other woman chuckled. Ashe seated herself on Katarina's bed and started reading the book.

"It's not like that," she said after a short while, looking directly at the redhead, "this is somrthing very special, that I was hesitating to read for quite a while."

Katarina stood up and walked over to her, she sat next to Ashe and tried to peek into the book, but the archer didn't let her.

"What is it about?" the assassin asked, but the other woman didn't answer and kept the book from her.

She looked at the archer's face, she seemed to be scared. It was obvious that Ashe didn't trust her, but who would? After all, Katarina was a Noxian, a born liar. She leaned closer to the archer and read the title: _Stargazing_. Then she forced herself to smirk as if nothing happened and said: "Nevermind, judging by the title it must be some dumb cheesy romance novel."

Ashe chuckled, Katarina registered it and looked her right in the eye, she kept staring at the archer very intensely, "What's funny?"

"Funny is how you pretend you don't care when you actually do."

"No, I don't," the Noxian opposed.

"So you asked me what am I reading because you don't want to know?" Ashe asked with a wide grin on her lips.

"Whatever," Katarina let out a low grunt. She turned her gaze away from the Freljordian and back to her book. Moments later she felt a light touch of a hand on her shoulder, this time she didn't flinch, and she was sure that Ashe noticed it.

"Hey, Katarina," the archer said in a deep, caring tone, "don't be like that, please. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I am a Noxian," Katarina snarled, "I cannot be hurt."

"Of course you can, everyone can be hurt," Ashe spoke to her tenderly, her soft lips almost touching the redhead's ear, "and only when you admit it, you can protect yourself. There's no point in denying that. Now, let me fix it, please."

She enveloped her arms around Katarina and pulled her closer, into a very tight hug. Her hands touched the assassin's arms and caressed her, she felt that the tension in Katarina's body slowly faded away. Few minutes later, she let go of her and looked at her caringly, seeing a small teardrop in one of the redhead's eyes.

"Is it better now?" Ashe asked and Katarina just nodded, unable to speak in that moment.

Both of them went back to their reading, both of them went quiet for a significant amount of time, though they exchanged long, reassuring glances from time to time. And after that it was the Noxian who spoke first: "Hey, Ashe, how much do you know about the history of Freljord?"

"Well, I could say I know everything there is to know, though it's not that much, some of the tribes didn't learn how to read and write till this day," the archer said in a calm voice, she had no idea why would Katarina so suddenly be interested in this, "why are you asking?"

"You know," the assassin started slowly, she was quite careful with her words now, "after today's match I was thinking... about Lissandra."

Ashe immediately burst into laughter, "I don't think she is your type, Katarina."

"Not like that, you... " the redhead had to pause for an instant before she found a word that couldn't offend the other woman, "... fool. I thought that she might be the Ice Witch from the fairytale book you gave me. The ice claws, ice coffin, she fits the description perfectly."

"You're right, she fits," the archer slowly admitted, "but that would mean that she is hundreds of years old."

"She looks like she's made of ice," Katarina objected, "I'm pretty sure she doesn't age like normal people."

"But it's only a fairytale made up to scare children."

"Every myth started as part truth and part lie."

"It is a very interesting theory, Katarina," Ashe said after she contemplated about it for a while, "I shall have someone look into it tomorrow."

Soon after that, the two of them wnet to have a dinner together and when they returned, they continued reading, staring at pages of the books in their hands and absorbing what was written on them. Katarina found it extremely calming, turning the soft pages, looking at the women who claimed to be her girlfriend from time to time. It felt good, it felt right, it felt as if it always should have been that way. But still, there was something... Something Katarina couldn't name nor understand, but she could definitely feel it. The present state was so good it was almost unreal. It was like a dream, getting into the good part right before you wake up, yet this time the awakening would hurt.

Katarina grew up in Noxus, that was something she couldn't deny. The city itself had dug so deeply into her identity she couldn't erase it without compromising herself, no matter how hard had she tried. And Noxus had also taught her many important lessons. The most important of them was that love is a weakness. Those who love make themselves vulnerable, and in Noxus, there is always someone to take advantage of your vulnerability. Katarina repeatedly refused to learn that lesson. She was a passionate person, she loved and she paid for it. The very first person she ever loved ratted her out to the headmaster and got her kicked out of the Academy, she called her a freak, she called her disgusting. The one that held a special place in Katarina's heart for the longest time was only using her as a source of information, that revelation left a wound in her heart, almost as painful as the one she had to leave in her lover's throat. And Riven, the last one she dared to love before she left Noxus to join the League of Legends, was afraid of her. She treated Katarina only as her commander, as if the redhead meant absolutely nothing to her. And when Katarina finally managed to get her father's position in the High Command, when she needed support the most, Riven simply left and in a way never came back. Love is a weakness, they said in Noxus, and they were fucking right. And now she was feeling that weakness again, towards a person that was unlike anything Katarina ever experienced. Ashe was kind and helpful without a reason, but Katarina still felt that she couldn't trust her completely.

"Hey, Ashe?" she spoke to the archer.

"Hm?" Ashe lifted her gaze from her book.

"What do you want?" the assassin asked in quite a harsh tone.

"You mean, what do I want in life?" the archer didn't understand.

"No, I mean what do you want from me?" Katarina's tone got even harsher now.

"I already told you, I don't want anything from you, Katarina," Ashe responded coldly.

"Then why are you doing all of this?" the assassin pushed on her.

"You needed help and I was there to help you. Life is weird, that's how it works," the archer explained, "and what do you want?"

"Like, from you?" this time it was Katarina who didn't understand.

"No, what do you want to do with your life? All that drinking and sex with random women, you can't go on like that forever."

"Not forever, only few more years."

"What do you mean?" Ashe asked confusedly.

"I am a Noxian assassin," Katarina explained, "I don't expect to live past forty."

The archer was shocked, hearing this from the redhead and seeing the look that momentarily appeared on her face, "No, Katarina, this is horrible, you have to stop thinking like this."

"Why?" the assassin asked as if she didn't understand at all, "Noxian assassin don't live very long, I'm completely fine with it."

"You can't be, you shouldn't be," Ashe opposed, " you deserve better. You should find someone, settle down with her, grow old with her."

"That is boring."

"Not when you do it with someone you love."

Katarina was just staring forward, the look on her face giving away that she was thinking intensely.

"Look," Ashe continued, "you don't owe Noxus anything. They made you become cold and heartless, they made you kill your lover and they can dispose of you whenever they feel like doing it."

"I am what they made me," the assassin whispered.

"What?"

"So you want me to betray my homeland, my people?!" Katarina lashed out at Ashe.

"No, Katarina, slow down," the archer tried to defend herself, "I didn't mean it like that. I only wanted to say that you should prioritize your own happiness from people who don't even appreciate what you do for them."

"Oh," the assassin pulled back, "sorry for yelling at you, then. And what about you?"

"I appreciate what you do for me, I always do," Ashe said and smiled at the redhead sitting next to her, "don't think I didn't notice it, because I did. All those little thing, you are much nicer when you're with me."

"Thanks," Katarina said and Ashe noticed that she was teary-eyed again, "what have I done to deserve you?"

"Sometimes you don't have to do anything, and good thing happen just like that."

After that they both went quiet and kept on reading, though it was already very late. Unknowingly they moved closer to each other, until their arms touched. A half an hour later, Ashe felt that Katarina rested her head on her shoulder. She looked at the redhead and found out that she had fallen asleep, only one of her eyes closed, her mouth slightly open and drooling at the archer. She looked so peaceful, Ashe didn't want to wake her up. She gently lifted Katarina's head and put a small pillow on her shoulder, before she returned to the original position.

"You're so cute right now," she whispered to the sleeping redhead, "but I guess I can't tell you that when you're awake because you would probably kill me."

She planted a feather light kiss on Katarina's forehead, then rested her head against the Noxian's and waited for sleep to come.

* * *

Katarina was staring down at the half empty glass of beer that stood on the table in front of her, observing the small bubbles travelling through the gold-colored liquid. She raised the glass to her mouth and took a small sip. It was the evening of the next day and she was sitting at the bar with a group of other Noxians, including Darius, Draven, and several summoners.

"Hell, you're getting soft, Du Couteau," the Hand of Noxus said, "I expected you to drink something more powerful."

"Well," Katarina replied, "I was told that heavy drinking severely impairs my performance."

She winked at the Frost Archer, who was sitting several tables away, talking with Caitlyn and Vi. Ashe noticed the wink and sent her back an air kiss.

"Like on the Fields?" Darius asked bewildered.

"No, in bed," Katarina answered with a chuckle.

"So when you drink your hands shake or what?" he asked, scrathing his head, "And isn't that a good thing?"

"Very funny," she said with a deep irony in her voice and then took another sip.

"What? Can't I mock that you're sleeping with an enemy?"

"Ashe is not an enemy!" Katarina lashed at him and hit the bar with her fist. When she noticed that everyone was looking at her, she calmed down and added: "The whole Valoran is at peace now, there aren't any enemies anymore."

"Well, Let's see how long will it last," Darius grunted, "at least you didn't take it as far as my brother who started seeing a Demacian!"

"Lux isn't just any Demacian," Draven joined their conversation, till now, he was admiring his reflection in a spoon, "she's the only person who just gets me."

Now, both Katarina and Darius shot him disappointed glances.

"And we have a lot in common," the executioner continued, "we both love Draaaaven."

"He's so stupid," Darius exclaimed, "Du Couteau, tell him he's stupid."

"You're stupid, Draven," Katarina laughed.

"You see? No one understands me!" Draven said patheticaly.

The assassin returned to her drink and the two brothers starting talking to the summoners. She heard the Darius has to go pack his stuff before he leaves tomorrow.

"Going somewhere, bro?" Draven asked him.

"Yes, to Noxus, Swain needs some shit done there."

After his brother left, the executioner went back to marveling at his mirror image and Katarina decided that she had enough. She finished her drink and walked over to the table Ashe was sitting at. She approached the archer from behind, enveloped her arms around her and when Ashe turned around to look at her, Katarina kissed her.

"Hello, Kat," the Freljordian said, "how nice of you to join us."

"Yeah, guess I had nothing better to do," the assassin replied as she sat onto an empty chair next to Ashe, "what were you guys talking about?"

"Game strategies, relationships, the usual things," Ashe said as she leaned closer to Katarina, who wrapped her arm around the archer's shoulders.

"I see," the assassin said with a smile, then turned her attention to Caitlyn, "how's the murder investigation going, sheriff?"

"Well," the sheriff said hesitantly, "the most interesting information we managed to discover till now was that the victim drank an excessive amount of tea."

"How can drinking tea be excessive?" Katarina laughed.

As hours passed, the four of them went from exchanging tip for the League matches to discussing more private matters, and by that point, Katarina only rarely joined their conversation. She pushed her chair few inches back as if it made her invisible for the three other women, but surprisingly it worked. She still wasn't safe from listening to their embarrassing childhood stories, but at least they didn't want her to add one of her own. It was boring, even listening to them. The Noxian felt like the couldn't stand it anymore, she stood up and said to Ashe: "I need you to come with me."

"Okay, but why?" the archer asked, she was having quite a good time.

"I wanna do bad thing to you," the assassin said and started dragging her away.

"Katarina, what is going on?" Ashe asked once they were out of sight.

"Nothing, I just..." Katarina didn't finish the sentence, she didn't know what to say.

"You just felt like dragging me away from my friends for no reason at all?" the archer raised her voice, but then she noticed the sad expression on the assassin's face.

"Why are you even friends with them?" Katarina asked with spite in her voice.

"Because normal, emotionally functioning people usually have friends, you dork," Ashe replied amusedly.

"What the fuck did you just call me?" the assassin asked angrily.

"I called you a dork, because I think that under those layers of badassery you are one."

"I'm gonna spank you so hard for that," a vicious grin appeared on Katarina's face.

"What?" Ashe gasped in shock, "Katarina, please tell me that you were joking."

"Oh, was I?"

* * *

**Author's notes: I know that getting this chapter published really took me long time, but I had to struggle with another writer's block, this one was even harder to overcome than the last one. And besides, I didn't think that Tumblr would take so much of my time.**

**Now, to Lissandra: I'm pretty sure all of you knew that she was the Ice Witch from the fairytale, but the characters in my story didn't. Her lore states that she purged all knowledge of the Frozen Watchers, rewrote the stories of Freljord and turned in into children's tales, so I tried to translate this into my story as well as I could.**

**If you find the teams in League matches in my story weird, you should know that I no longer actively play League of Legends, and I'm completely unaware of the latest trends and changes, but I might return to it some day. Anyway, I use the matches mostly as a plot device and assemble the teams to fit the plot.**

**I hope you still enjoy this.**


	13. Chapter 13: The Breaking Point

Chapter 13: The Breaking Point

_An old Noxian proverb says that Noxus' borders are as far as its soldiers._

_It was raining. The heavy drops of water were pouring down onto the Noxian soldiers, drumming on their helmets, drenching their sweaty and bloodied uniforms. They had been marching for weeks in the endless pouring rain. Heavy mud glued onto the soles of their armoured boots was slowing down their progress, just like the fact that they encountered resistance in every single village on the Demacian territory. They fought and they won every single time, though their casualties were great and there were still many miles in front of them before they could reach Kalamanda. Nightfall was close, so they stopped marching for the day. They had conquered a town, ripped it from the hands of the enemy, so to speak, and the day could be considered a success. They had overthrown the local Demacian royal officials, then proceeded to set up a camp for the night. And now, when all the work was done, they were standing in rows, fully armed, waiting for their commander to dismiss them. But she didn't. She was just pacing in front of them, yelling, cursing and ranting something about a Noxian's duty and honor, as she always did in situations like this. She looked at each soldier with such intensity they felt like her gaze was burning through them, down to their deepest fears and secrets. They admired her, as despite her young age she had already become a legend. She was like fire, equal parts beautiful and destructive - the most Noxian definition of beauty._

_The Noxian military usually didn't go to war at this late time of year, the cold and rainy weather could multiply their casualties when they'd be coming home, but this year was special. This year, all their effort could finally pay off and their campaign against Demacia could be successful. Their greatest enemy would be destroyed and the young commander would make a name for herself. She watched her troops with a certain disdain, watching as they trembled with the cold as their uniforms were drenched by rain and whipped by wind. They were mostly new recruits, and they were weak, so weak. She knew that true strength could only be forged in battle, and that these men had seen too few so far. She also knew the most gruesome battles are those we fight in our hearts. They'd fought too few battles, so she saw them as weak. She stood firmly, while they trembled like a bunch of cowards, though her uniform was just as drenched as theirs. So she walked in front of them in the pouring rain, yelling curses and insults at them, strands of damp red hair sticking to her face while she was piercing her soldiers with her angry emerald gaze. But then, one of them backmouthed to her as she was passing by him. She couldn't make out the words, but the very fact that it had even happened felt like a mortal insult to her._

_"Say that again, soldier!" she spat as she approached the man. Actually, he was just a boy, and judging by the fact that he had all of his teeth, Katarina believed that he was a son of a Noxian nobleman, rather than a peasant. Hm, maybe that was what gave him the courage to disrespect her, she thought. But now, as he was looking her face to face, all of that courage suddenly disappeared, and he stared at her with nothing but fear in his eyes, unable to utter a single word._

_"What did you say, soldier?" she glared death at him as she spoke._

_"N-nothing," he choked out carefully._

_"Nothing? Really? Because I'm sure I heard something!"_

_He was too afraid to say anything, so she hit him with the pommel of her blade right in the face. Several drops of warm blood landed on her hand and cheek as the young soldier fell to the ground. The boy in front of her wasn't getting up and the other soldiers started looking at her strangely._

_"What? You're dismissed! Now!" she growled at them._

_Most of them left immediately, as fast as they could, but a small group formed around the prone boy._

_"Commander, he's still not getting up," one of them said._

_"Let him be!" Katarina replied angrily,"I said you're dismissed."_

_As the group moved, the assassin noticed a woman approximately her own age, with short white hair, tanned skin and a muscular build, and she realized that she liked her. She approached the soldier and grabbed her arm._

_"No, not you," she said quietly, as the soldier looked directly into her eyes,"I have something for you."_

_The soldier gulped,"What is it, commander?"_

_"As you might know, I have a room in this town's fortress, just as the other officers, and I want to invite you for a... special occasion of sorts," Katarina said with a vicious smirk playing on her lips._

_"What occasion, commander?" the other woman asked hesitantly._

_"Let's call it a... ladies' night. Come visit me tonight at sunset," the assassin sniffed the soldier,"and be sure to take a bath before you do."_

_"I'm not sure my officer will let me."_

_"Tell him I ordered it, then he'll have no choice."_

_The room was small and cold, but Katarina knew how to keep herself warm, especially when she was with someone. First she lit some candles, both for light and to create an intimate atmosphere, then she sat down and waited. It was almost sunset and the soldier still didn't show up. Katarina started wondering, what if the other soldiers told the woman that she was expecting some horrible rumors? Fortunately, only moments later she heard cautious, but loud knocking on her door._

_"Come in!" she called out._

_The door screeched as it slowly opened and revealed the soldier's figure. Just by looking at her, Katarina could tell that the other woman was nervous, almost afraid of the assassin. The redhead came closer to the soldier and stared at her with an intense, seductive gaze. The soldier was very slowly backing away from her, until the back of her leg hit the edge of the bed. Katarina stalked close enough to the other woman that she could feel her breath on her own neck._

_"Are you afraid of me?" she asked. The soldier hastily shook her head._

_"What's your name, soldier?"_

_"Riven," was the slightly nervous response._

_"Well, Riven, what did they tell you?" the assassin kept asking._

_"They told me that you're a..." Riven hesitated, she didn't want to tell her superior._

_"A what?"_

_The soldier loudly gulped and then continued:"A psychotic bitch and the gayest woman in the entire Noxian military, though I am not completely sure what the second one means."_

_"Oh, you're about to find out very soon," the assassin said while grinning viciously._

_She placed her hands onto the soldier's shoulders, Riven's muscles immediately tensed upon the contact. Katarina started moving her hands up the soldier's neck, her fingers exploring every inch of bare skin beneath them. She stopped once she was holding Riven's face, then pulled her head closer and started kissing her hungrily. The soldier's eyes widened in terror, feeling completely lost in the situation. She didn't kiss Katarina back, but the assassin didn't seem to care, as she was too busy biting Riven's lips and sucking on them. She even tried to shove her tongue into the other woman's mouth, but couldn't get it past the soldier's clenched teeth. She stopped when she had enough, her eyes shining with anticipation of what yet had to happen._

_"Now strip down," Katarina whispered seductively into Riven's ear. The other woman stood stiffly, she didn't move a bit as if she was ignoring the assassin._

_"I said, strip down, soldier!" Katarina growled with a bitter rage in her voice, but the other woman still didn't react._

_"Take your fucking clothes off!" the redhead ordered again._

_Riven was terrified, but she still didn't move. She was having a hard time resisting the assassin, and was afraid that any movement would lead to a break in her composure. Katarina drew a short knife, fiddling with it between her finger as a threatening gesture, but the soldier was still unfazed. She was visibly shaking and her breathing was becoming more frantic with every passing second. The assassin moved the knife to the other woman's neck and touched it lightly, the feeling of the cold steel causing Riven to flinch. Katarina stuck the tip of the blade into the collar of Riven's uniform, and the soldier shot her a very confused look._

_"These uniforms are quite expensive, you know? And the High Command wants to cut the military expense as much as possible," the assassin purred as she drew the blade down with agonizingly slow motion, ripping the fabric apart in its wake, "so if something happened to yours outside of combat, your superior would have to punish you pretty badly."_

_She watched as the soldier's pupils dilated in fear and Riven quickly started undressing herself, unbuckling her uniform and discarding every article of clothing she had on her. Katarina took a step back so she could watch the spectacle in front of her. She watched with great pleasure and bit her lower lip seductively. Moments later, the soldier stood there completely naked, the cold air in the room making her nipples hard and the assassin noticed, smiling coyly. She roughly grabbed Riven's breasts and started stroking them, playing with them, digging her long fingers into the soft flesh. The white haired soldier still kept her guard up, she looked extremely uncomfortable with what was going on. It only got worse when the assassin shoved her onto the bed, knelt down and forcibly spread the soldier's legs. She was grinning as she dragged her blade across the skin of Riven's inner thigh._

_"Now let's have som fun, shall we?"_

* * *

When you are suddenly awakened after a long and peaceful period of sleep, you feel a slight dizziness, in which you seem to lose the entire concept of time, space, and memory. You don't know where you are or how you got there, but you also don't care. The same thing happened to the Frost Archer when beams of early morning sunlight pierced the curtains and caressed her face. She was curled up in a heap of blankets and the only thing she could feel right now was the warmth radiating from the body behind her. There was also something sticking out from the other body, it was an arm, as Ashe found out when she tried to touch it, and it was now gently resting on her waist. She placed her hand on the arm, gently rubbing it with her fingertips, and the arm reacted by pulling her closer. The Frost Archer purred into the contact. Still half asleep, she turned around and found herself staring right at Katarina, the assassin was in the same state, her dizzy face only inches away from the archer's. It was a shock for both of them, Katarina even accidentally teleported herself to the other side of the room. They stared at each other, an awkward silence growing between them.

"What happened yesterday?" Ashe asked,"I don't remember a thing."

"We were enjoying a lovely evening with your friends," Katarina replied,"or at least _you_ were enjoying it."

"How much did I drink?" the archer completely ignored the sarcasm in the assassin's voice.

"Not much, three or four wine glasses," Katarina grinned,"I told you, you're the lightest lightweight I've ever drank with."

"Ugh. I drink only because of you," Ashe sighed, then she confusedly looked at the assassin and the bed,"did we...?"

"Nope, I would remember that," the redhead quickly answered with a smirk.

"Are you sure?" the archer asked once more.

Katarina licked her lips,"Yes, I'm completely sure."

"How do you know it from that? Oh, nevermind, I don't want to know," Ashe stuttered, while Katarina just laughed. The archer then licked her own lips, but couldn't feel anything but the bitter taste of alcohol she drank the last night.

"You should get up already," the assassin said after Ashe groaned and fell back to the bed, "we have a match scheduled in an hour and I know you want to get some breakfast before that."

"How do you know?" Ashe asked with surprise evident in her voice.

"Well, you do that every day, so I guessed today would be no exception."

"Wait, you notice things like this?"

"It's kinda hard not to notice when you do it every single fucking day, " Katarina replied.

"I didn't know that you care about me," Ashe replied with a disarming smile.

"I don't," the redhead felt something shatter inside of her as she was saying those two words,"we should go now."

* * *

When they first started pretending that they were dating, Ashe and Katarina had agreed on a month before they would fake a big fight and a breakup. A month had already passed, much faster than they had expected, so it was time to split. Both of them knew about it, but neither of them wanted to be the one to start it. They played a lot of games together lately, and there were even days when they were only summoned together. But not today, Katarina had one evening match in which Ashe didn't participate, so the archer stayed in the assassin's room, reading and waiting for Katarina to come back. Or was she? Well, she would definitely never call it that way, no, she wasn't waiting for the assassin. She was simply in Katarina's room because she got used to it. Also, a large portion of her personal stuff was in the assassin's room, including her clothing, her books, and her favorite poro-shaped pillow. That was the reason why she was staying in the redhead's room, not Katarina, not at all. Thankfully, the assassin came back soon, and she was carrying a small potted plant with arrowhead-shaped leaves and bright red berries.

"Do you want to redecorate your room, Katarina?" Ashe asked as she was observing the redhead.

"This is an Eastern Redberry," Katarina said as if she was reciting from an old book, "summoners use it to make the health potions we use on the Fields."

"I didn't know you were also a herbalist," the archer said with amusement.

"It is also used to treat alcohol poisoning and hangovers, so I am well familiar with its effects," the assassin replied with a gentle smile on her lips.

"So... you're saying that it is for me?" Ashe laughed,"that is so nice of you!"

"Whatever." Katarina sighed.

The assassin was sitting on the ground, sharpening her blades and occasionally stealing glances at the beautiful woman sitting on her bed with a book in her hands. Katarina worked quickly, though the heap of swords, daggers, and throwing knives lying around her was quite large. The endless motions she had done a million times soothed her, and her tired mind was finally able to drift away from the stressful day. Yet, she was still nervous, muttering silent curses under her breath. She was angry, and she directed a part of her anger right at herself. There were so many things she would do differently, things she wanted to say and didn't. Too busy thinking about it, her hand slipped and the blade she was holding sliced open the tip of her thumb.

"Shit!"

"What's wrong, Kat?" Ashe asked when she saw the assassin jump up in pain.

"I just cut myself," Katarina said and quickly sucked on the wound, feeling the coppery taste of her own blood on her tongue.

"I'm sure you will be fine," the archer replied with a wide and friendly smile, "is there anything else wrong? You seem to be stressed out."

"I'm not!" the assassin snarled at her.

"Oh, come on, you can tell me," Ashe teased her, "come sit here next to me and talk about it."

Katarina sighed. She didn't want to talk about her feelings at all, but the way the archer smiled and communicated with her was irresistible. The assassin climbed onto the bed and started talking: "I don't get why this bothers you at all, but I had a pretty shitty day today."

"We spend a lot of time together, so of course this bothers me," Ashe was still smiling, Katarina couldn't keep her eyes off the Freljordian's lips, "please, continue."

"I have to deal with a lot of shit from people just for being a Noxian," the redhead said, "but now everyone thinks I am getting soft so that just adds even more to that shit. And my own people do it too."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Katarina," the archer gently rubbed the assassin's shoulder.

"Are you?" Katarina asked with a doubt.

"Of course," Ashe assured her, "why would you even doubt that?"

"Because a half of the people hates me for where I was born and the other half for trying to make the best out of it," the assassin was trying hard to supress her rage.

"I don't hate you," the archer spoke softly to her, "actually, I started to like you."

"What do you like about me?" Katarina curiously turned to her, her eyes wide as if she had never heard anyone say something like that about her.

"Well," Ashe had to think hard, she wanted to help the redhead as much as she could without sending the wrong message, "I like your eyes, your sometimes rude sense of humor, and I definitely like how passionate you are about the things you like."

She looked at Katarina once again and saw that the assassin was almost in tears.

"I know what will help you," she said calmly, "lie down, curl up a bit and put your head on my lap."

"Oh, really?" the redhead sounded amused once she lay down, her head right above the archer's private parts, her breath tickling Ashe's thigh, "so close and yet so far."

The Freljordian sighed, she lifted Katarina's head, put a pillow on her lap and laid the assassin back down.

"Why are you so cruel?" Katarina whined.

"I am not cruel," Ashe opposed. She started running her fingers through the Noxian's hair. She was moving them in big, slow circles, her every move was perfect, her every touch gentle and soothing. Soon she found out that the redhead was making strange noises.

"Katarina, you're purring like a cat," she told her.

"No, I'm not," the assassin denied it.

"And now you're gonna tell me something very badass, like 'Noxians don't purr. '"

"You're right, we don't."

"What about Noxian cats then?"

"Our cats are silent killers that will take down any vermin that crosses their path," Katarina explained jokingly.

"Something like you?" Ashe remarked with a badly hidden chuckle.

"Yeah, exactly," Katarina replied, chuckling as well.

"But you do purr, you know?" the arched teased.

"Whatever," the assassin said and grinned, "now that you're done with my head, I have some other spots that need a gentle touch."

"No," Ashe exclaimed in a terrified voice, "you need to cool down. Pull your head out of the gutter, please."

"Come on, would it really hurt you so much?" Katarina retorted, "Everyone already thinks we're doing it, so what's the difference?"

"Alright, but we'll do it on my terms," the archer said mysteriously.

"Fine, fine, whatever you want," the assassin's voice was filled with excitement.

Now that Katarina was sitting again, Ashe came closer to her, took her hand and started whispering into her ear in a very deep voice: "You have to cover your eyes and let me lead you. And don't cheat."

It was Katarina's room, so she knew exactly where the archer was leading her.

"We're in the bathroom," she said, "so... a hot bath?"

"Let me surprise you," Ashe whispered seductively, "and get into the tub."

"I'm still dressed, you know?" the assassin remarked, "you must be into some pretty weird stuff."

"The weirdest," the archer choked out through her teeth as she was trying hard to hold back her laughter, "I'm going to do to you something no one ever did."

"I'm ready, bring it on!" Katarina said, sitting as comfortably as she could in the tub, a wide smile playing on her lips. When the stream of icy water hit her face, she only screamed and jumped out in a second. Ashe had to hold the tub so that she wouldn't fall down from laughing too hard.

"This isn't funny!" the assassin yelled at her, but it only made her laugh even harder.

"How could you not see it coming? I told you that you needed to cool down."

* * *

Apart from incidents like this one, their days were mostly calm. Ashe observed that Katarina really started to open up. They also talked a lot, but the redhead kept making stupid jokes with sexual subtext, which were driving Ashe crazy.

"Don't be rude, Katarina," she tried to scold her.

"Or what?" the assassin laughed.

"Or I will break up with you!" the archer threatened jokingly.

"Oh, really?" Katarina sounded amused, "Look at all that imaginary sex I would miss!"

"Is that everything you expect from a relationship?" Ashe asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, what else could I possibly want?" the assassin returned her question.

"I don't know," the archer said, "maybe someone to look after or someone who will look after you, or someone to confide in. There must be more to you than your sex drive."

"I want to..." Katarina started quietly, "I want to show my affection to those I like, but it's not a Noxian way."

"That doesn't mean you can't do it," Ashe told her, "you have already once had to bare your soul in front of others."

"You mean during my Judgement?" the assassin asked.

"Yes," the archer said, "you can start by telling me about it."

"It was a bit problematic," Katarina admitted, pausing to collect her thoughts. Ashe waited patiently. "They didn't want to accept me at first, because they thought that I 'had seen too much' or some other bullshit, and Swain had to press on them to get me in here. They had problems with most of our champion candidates, but mostly because we had three times more of them than the other city-states when the Institute started. All of them were war heroes, but the League had to reject a lot of them to keep it fair."

"Don't you want to ask about my Judgement?" Ashe asked.

"I don't have to," the assassin said, "I was there. I watched it all from that balcony where I took you once."

"And how did I do?" the archer curiously stared at Katarina, "I mean, at my Judgement."

"If I remember correctly, you didn't know what to do half the time," the redhead smiled, "it was truly adorable."

"Oh, shut up," Ashe said jokingly, "I was new, I might have made some mistakes. And I had a hard time choosing what 'abilities' I would use on the Fields, you know?"

The assassin nodded, so the archer continued: "My bow has many magical powers, but they wouldn't allow me to use all of them. One of those I don't use is an ability to shoot an unbreakable ice chain. I thought it wouldn't be useful, because many of the champions are stronger and heavier than me."

Katarina didn't respond, so Ashe looked at her and found that the redhead was sound asleep.

"What was I thinking?" the archer sighed, "That she would listen to me?"

Usually, Ashe would fall asleep first and Katarina would force herself to stay awake, no matter the cost. The archer didn't understand it at all, but then it dawned on her. The assassin was paranoid, she waited for Ashe to fall asleep first so that she could be sure that the archer didn't slit her throat while she was sleeping. Only a week ago, the night she fell asleep on Ashe's shoulder, Katarina finally found a way to relax in the archer's company. It meant that she started trusting her, and Ashe was glad for that.

* * *

Katarina fought a lot, her entire life was in fact one big fight, but it didn't make her upset, quite the opposite, actually. She was thankful for every opportunity to prove herself superior over her enemies. She fought a lot, she loved it, and she always fought hard. Thanks to that, she almost always won. Now she was leaving the post game lobby after another successful match in the League, alongside her supposed girlfriend. Katarina had a good start on the mid lane, she picked up several easy kills and started roaming across the map, wreaking havoc on the battlefield with her unpredictable ganks. Ashe joined her soon afterwards, giving up her role of a carry to become some sort of a support for the assassin, tracking the enemies, slowing and stunning them so that Katarina could kill them easily. The archer had a lot fewer kills than usually, but she didn't care. She saw how excited Katarina was from their current playstyle and somehow it was enough for her. The redhead's face was shining like one of a little child and she was holding Ashe's hand firmly as they were walking towards Katarina's room.

"You played really well today," the assassin remarked once they were inside.

"I simply enjoy playing with you, Katarina," the archer replied honestly.

"I'm sorry it won't be always the same," Katarina said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Ashe asked.

"Well, we're not gonna pretend this relationship forever, are we?"

"Oh," the archer sighed, "but we could still end it on good terms, we could be friends."

"Yeah, friends, because that's exactly what I want," the assassin grunted.

"What do you want then?" Ashe asked gently.

"You know what I want," Katarina said.

"Maybe you could remind me?" the archer suggested with a playful smile.

"No, that's not a good idea," the assassin turned around and started walking away, "I'm gonna drink something, I need it after games like the last one."

"Wait."

Before she could reach the door, she was stopped by Ashe's hand on her shoulder. Katarina turned back, their gazes met, eyes locked on each other and soon the assassin found herself pinned against the nearest wall, the archer's lips firmly pressed to her own. There was no one to see them, and for the first time ever the two of them were kissing only for themselves. It was passionate and yet deep and meaningful, as if they had been longing for each other for entire ages. Ashe was the one to start the kiss and she was also the one to break it.

"I don't want just this, just fun," she said between gasps, "I want more, a relationship. And don't try to tell me that you can't work in a relationship, because you've been in one for a month and I know you can. Do you understand me, Katarina?"

"Yeah, you've made yourself very clear," the redhead chuckled, "and I'm in."

"Good, now kiss me again."

As their lips reconnected, Katarina could feel a spark running through her body. The archer's hands were first on her hips and waist, but they were hesitantly moving higher. The assassin was cupping Ashe's cheeks as she pulled her in closer for the kiss, but she slowly moved one of her hands lower, onto the other woman's cleavage, where she could feel her heart racing with excitement. Katarina used her other hand for a very different approach, she touching the inner side of Ashe's thigh and moving her fingers upwards, until she could feel a delicately wet and warm spot through a thin piece of fabric.

But then she suddenly stopped. Restless thoughts were raging in her mind and she couldn't ignore them any longer. Everything slowed down, only her brain kept on working at a murderous pace. She knew it couldn't be real, how could she expect the happiness she was feeling right now? She was overthinking and she knew it, but it made sense. Suddenly everything was making sense.

_"Do you recognize this weapon, Sinister Blade? We found it in a ventilation shaft near the crime scene, covered in the victim's blood!"_

_"Yeah, I do, it's a throwing knife of a simple Noxian design, supposedly mine."_

_"Your blade, the knife you used, it was the same kind you use on the Fields. I kept it and when we first time met on the Fields, I recognized it."_

_"Be careful, Katarina, remember that not only she is your alibi for the murder, you are hers as well."_

Noxus taught that love was a weakness, and they were right, but this time, she refused to pay for it. No, she won't be betrayed again!

"What's wrong, Kat?" Ashe asked her thoughtfully.

"It was you," the assassin seethed with rage, "you killed that guy and framed me, and then you used me as an alibi!"

"No! No, I would never do that!" the archer tried to defend herself, but all her effort was futile.

"I don't believe you!" Katarina growled, "You are just like those before you, all of you are the same traitors!"

She grabbed Ashe's wrist and roughly dragged her out of the room.

* * *

**Author's notes: If you're reading this, I'm gone... o****n a vacation, and only for a week, so I won't be able to respond to your reviews and messages, but I will surely respond as soon as I return, I promise.**

** Also this chapter contains the very last of Katarina's flashbacks, I wanted to use them to show how she transformed from a young girl discovering her sexuality to who she was at the beginning of my story. And, in case you were wondering, those flashbacks are in an exact chronological order.**

** And since this chapter has a bit of a cliffhanger ending, you can expect a longer delay before I publish the next one. I hope you still enjoy reading my story.**

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**This chapter was completed and published thanks to my wonderful beta reader, Creator0fWords.**


	14. Chapter 14: The Storm

Chapter 14: The Storm

So it happened again - how could it not? How could she even think it would be different this time? How could she believe someone could love her? That she deserved to be loved? How could she be so stupid and not trust her instincts? Only the darkest thoughts were flooding Katarina's mind as she dragged Ashe through the Institute's halls. The archer tried to resist her, but the assassin was much stronger. She held the Freljordian's wrist tightly, crushing it in her tight grip and completely ignoring Ashe's pain - her pleas for help.

"Katarina, stop, please!" Ashe almost cried, tiny teardrops forming in the corners of her eyes, "Please, you're hurting me!"

"Shut up!" the assassin snarled, "I'm done with you!"

"Kat, please, I didn't do it, I swear!"

Ashe felt hopeless; she tried to stop Katarina, but the assassin seemed to ignore her. The archer had no idea where were they going, and as they were passing by various residents of the Institute, she could feel that all the eyes were set on her. Yes, Katarina was angry at her and she wasn't exactly subtle about it. Well, the Noxian was only rarely subtle, so all the attention was drawn to them. Everyone who saw how furious the assassin was quickly got out of their way. No one even tried to stop them and ask for an explanation. Ashe was almost running, it was the only way how to keep up with extremely angry Katarina, and she knew that slowing down would only make the pain in her wrist worse. As she heard her hasty footsteps and heavy breathing, she felt a tight knot forming in her stomach, and she knew that with every step she took she was slipping further and further away from the warmth and happiness she felt just minutes before. Everything that happened during the past month - everything she went through with Katarina to gain the assassin's trust and help her make her life better - it all looked like a distant memory now, and probably was lost forever. She still had no idea where Katarina was taking her, and she wasn't excited about finding out in the slightest.

"Please, Kat, let me go!"

"Don't call me that! And shut up!" the Noxian growled without looking at the archer.

Ashe was hurt. She tried to remember that she and Katarina used to walk these halls and hold hands. Now, the assassin was roughly dragging her forward by her wrist and though it hurt so much, it didn't hurt nearly as much as her heart. She could feel Katarina's hand slipping. She was sweating there, but she wasn't sure if the sweat was from her arm or from the other woman's palm. Katarina definitely felt it too, because she tightened her grip, uncaring of how much pain it would cause Ashe to feel.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the offices of the Summoner Council. Katarina stopped to knock on the door and Ashe tried to reason with her for the last time before it would be too late.

"Please, let me explain it!" she burst into tears as she looked right at the Sinister Blade.

"You betrayed me!" Katarina snarled, her words, her eyes, everything on her was seething with rage. "I trusted you and you betrayed me!"

Katarina didn't wait for an invitation and just barged inside instead. This particular office belonged to summoner Arlos, first deputy of High Councilor Kolminye, who was also in charge of the murder investigation. He was in there, just as the entire investigation team. When the door suddenly blasted open, all of them turned their heads towards it and what they saw shocked them. Katarina was standing there, glaring death and destruction at everyone around, and next to her was Ashe, trying as hard as possible to suppress her tears but failing miserably. Caitlyn was the first one to react when she noticed what state was the Frost Archer in.

"Oh gods, Ashe, what happened?" she asked with serious concern in her voice.

The Freljordian clearly wasn't able to respond, so Katarina did it instead: "I've got your killer!"

Everyone was looking at the archer; she felt like their eyes were burning right through her. She fought so hard to hold her tears back, but she couldn't hold them anymore. Both Caitlyn and Vi ran to her immediately, to calm her down, check if she was alright and wipe away her tears.

"What happened?" the Piltover Enforcer turned at Katarina, anger in her eyes. "What did you do to her?!"

"Nothing at all!" the assassin replied defensively. "I just exposed her lies. You should be thanking me for doing your fucking job!"

Vi turned back to Ashe, who was already much calmer and breathing more steadily.

"Is it true, Ashe?" she asked with a worried tone in her voice. The archer just shook her head, another small teardrop rolled down her cheek. She quietly asked for some water, her voice sounding broken and desperate. Caitlyn instantly darted away and returned with a glass of the pristine liquid in her hand. She carefully handed it over to Ashe, right after she shot Katarina a murderous glance. Vi brought Ashe a chair and Caitlyn helped the archer to sit down.

"I didn't do it," Ashe said after she took a sip from the water and slowly swallowed, "I didn't kill Zilean and I honestly don't know who did it."

"Wasn't she with you when it happened?" the Sheriff of Piltover harshly asked Katarina.

"No, we're not dating, we never were. "The assassin snarled back.

"I knew it!" Caitlyn almost squealed in excitement, "I knew that the two of you were just playing it all along!"

"Not now, Cupcake!" Vi scolded her, "this isn't the right time."

"Right, sorry."

"So where were you when the murder occurred, Frost Archer?" summoner Arlos intervened. He was the highest authority in the room and he felt compelled to take charge.

Ashe wiped the tears from her eyes and slowly started talking: "Let me think for a moment... I remember, it was a month ago, but I remember. And I probably wouldn't if it weren't for the murder."

The Queen of Freljord drank another sip from the glass she was holding and continued: "I had a council with my most trusted summoners, I can call them here and you can question them to see that I am telling the truth. I had to convince them that I was really dating Katarina, and it wasn't that easy."

Ashe started sobbing again, but suppressed it as best as she could.

"I'm sorry," she said after she quickly composed herself, "I didn't want to... I didn't mean to... I didn't want you to see that."

Seeing the archer in such a desperate state, sitting there looking so small and helpless, Katarina started reevaluating what she did. After all, Ashe was pretty confident when talking about her alibi. The assassin looked back - she'd never done that before - but now she had to. Now it was important. Only seeing Ashe in tears had made her realize that she'd probably overreacted and that she shouldn't have done it. Her own face now mirrored the archer's, tears almost sliding down her cheeks. She wanted to step closer to Ashe, but as soon as she tried to approach the archer, Caitlyn and Vi quickly appeared in her way, threatening her with death glares, so she backed off.

Someone knocked on the door of the office, the sound strong and resolute, and Summoner Arlos had no reason to deny the person entry. All of them anxiously waited for Ashe's summoners to come confirm her alibi for the night of the murder, but instead of them someone completely different entered the room. The sharp clanking of his cane against the stone floor alerted everyone of his presence and the bird perched on his shoulder screeched loudly.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Swain said with his typical cold Noxian politeness, the same way as if someone had slapped you in the face and then told you not to take it personally, meaning that he didn't care one bit if or what he had interrupted, "but I need to talk to Katarina for a moment."

"How the fuck did you know where I am?" the red haired assassin snarled, unintentionally venting a part of her pent up rage at Swain.

"It was very simple," the general spoke calmly. "I just followed the trail of yelling and swearing. It never fails."

His comment completely shut Katarina up and the room went silent again. Ashe wasn't crying anymore. Swain's arrival provided a much needed distraction from the situation she found herself in, and she was grateful for that. At least for a moment she could pretend that it wasn't actually happening, but it didn't last long.

"General Swain," Arlos addressed the Noxian formally, "we are in the middle of an important investigation, I'm afraid you will have to wait until we resolve the current matter."

"Of course," Swain nodded. "so there was a breakthrough in the murder case?"

"Right now I can't share any details with you," the summoner responded shortly.

The Freljordians arrived soon afterwards to be questioned and as they were sitting in front of Arlos and Caitlyn, one by one they confirmed their queen's version of events.

Katarina's expressions were gradually darkening. She did her best trying to be patient as she listened to them talk about building new supply routes through the frozen mountains and the necessity to prepare for the next winter even though the summer hadn't yet begun. It was too late - she already knew that she had made a mistake and that there was no way she could take it back. The damage was done and Katarina realized that her budding relationship with the Frost Archer would never be the same as before, and that it was all her fault. To distract herself from those painful thoughts, she turned instead to Swain, who was watching the interrogations with a certain level of twisted interest.

"What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked him.

Swain wasn't supposed to stay in the room and summoner Arlos tried to politely tell him to leave, but the general pretended to overhear him over all that politeness, so the summoner eventually gave up.

"I just wanted to inform you that there was a certain shift of power in Noxus within the last few days." He answered mysteriously.

"And?" Katarina stared at him with a puzzled expression, not knowing what to make out of that sentence. Swain chuckled at her confusion and then continued: "A shift from Darkwill and towards me."

"Great!" the assassin exclaimed ironically, but that didn't seem to affect the general's suspiciously good mood.

"We need to head back to Noxus," Swain said now in a more reserved tone, "and secure the Grand General's throne before someone else does that."

"Now?" Katarina sounded almost desperate. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Well, I hoped I could rely on you, and that you would want to finish your father's work and take over his legacy. For that we would need to have absolute control over Noxus. It will require some 'unfortunate accidents' happening to several problematic members of the High Command. Right now, you are the best person I have to provide those 'accidents'."

"But... can't it wait?" the redhead almost begged.

Swain sighed. "I'm afraid not..."

He was still talking, but Katarina didn't hear him. She noticed that the interrogations were over and the queen of Freljord was deemed innocent. Ashe was slowly walking away with her head down. She was humiliated, weakened, exhausted, and worst of all, heartbroken. She felt the dull ache in her chest as the dreams and desires she'd created over the past month shattered to tiny pieces the moment Katarina accused her of murder right after agreeing to a real relationship with her and their first real kiss. She was already in the hallway when she heard hasty footsteps behind her. The archer didn't even need to turn her head to know who it was running after her.

"Ashe, wait!" Katarina called.

"What do you want, Katarina?" Ashe snapped, eyeing the Noxian. She didn't even bother to hide the anger she was feeling.

"I... I wanted to..." finding the right words was obviously hard for the assassin. "I just wanted to say that I am sorry. I know that what I did was stupid and that I shouldn't have done it."

"Stupid? That's the right word for it? Just stupid!?" Ashe's voice suddenly got high pitched; she was battling an immense amount of rage inside of her. "It was the single most idiotic thing I've ever seen anyone do!"

"I just want you to know that I deeply regret it."

"Not half as much as I do."

There was a painful silence growing between the two of them and surprisingly, Ashe was the one who broke it: "You know, I have to tell you something, Katarina. I felt attracted to you even before we started that fake dating. I felt drawn to you like a moth drawn to a flame, but I felt safe because I knew that you wouldn't hurt me. But you did hurt me."

Katarina looked at Ashe's left wrist, the one that still bore red marks from the assassin's grasp. She wanted to caress it, to let the other woman know that her touch could be soft and gentle just as it could be hurtful and destructive. But as soon as their hands touched, the Freljordian pulled hers back.

"This isn't about a stupid wrist, Katarina," Ashe scolded her as if she was a little child, "you hurt my feelings. You made me feel amazing things and then, in the end you destroyed everything. So don't try to mend it with a single touch, because it won't work."

The assassin kept looking at her with sad eyes, waiting for the archer to say something, convinced that this can't be the end, refusing to believe it.

"What?!" Ashe snarled at her, using rage to mask the fact that she was falling apart on the inside. "Do you want to say something?! Just spit it out!"

"I just..." Katarina wasn't good with words, especially when they were supposed to be apologies, and she knew it. "it just felt so real, and it was making perfect sense. I suddenly *thought I* knew why you were helping me in the first place."

"So this is what it's about?" Ashe's voice was suddenly less angry and more mocking towards the Noxian. "You didn't understand why would anyone help you? You know what? Now I don't understand it either! But I will tell you why, I will give you this one answer, if that's what your heart so much desires! I did it because I believed that there is more to you. More than just all that bloodthirst, anger and self-pity. Guess I was wrong."

For a moment they just stood there, observing each other, neither of them able to move or say a word, both of them on the verge of tears, but holding it back for the sake of looking stronger in front of the other.

"Ashe, please," Katarina started, choking back the tears that appeared in the corners of her eyes, "let me make it up to you. I will do anything you want, I promise-"

"Stop," the archer cut her off. "this isn't something that you can fix with a fancy bouquet. Just leave me be."

"Katarina, we need to go!" the assassin heard Swain's voice behind her, interrupting her train of thought just as she was about to ask Ashe for a second chance.

"Not now!" she yelled at him angrily.

"Just go," Ashe told her resolutely. "I don't want to talk to you anymore."

"...Fine." Katarina whirled around and started slowly walking towards the general.

"When will we come back?" she asked him with a hint of hope in her voice.

"I don't know," he admitted. "maybe we won't. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

Katarina muttered some complaint, but Ashe couldn't make out the exact words because of the distance that had grown between them. She started walking towards her room, but then both halves of Piltover's Finest caught up to her.

"Hey, are you alright?" Caitlyn asked her with a genuinely concerned tone.

"Yes, I am," the archer's face lit up a bit in the presence of her friends.

"That was just horrible." Vi added, her eyes flashing back to the departing Noxians.

"Yes," the Sheriff of Piltover agreed, "who would've known that she could snap like this."

"I feel like I should have..." Ashe admitted quietly.

"No. No, no, no, this isn't your fault, not in the slightest," Caitlyn reassured her. "listen, Ashe, we want you to know that we are here for you. If there is anything you need, just let us know."

"Thank you, but I just want to be alone for now," she said almost inaudibly, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

She wandered mindlessly around the Institute. She wanted to return to the safety of her room, but her legs carried her deep into the Noxian wing instead. She didn't even realize it until she found herself facing the door to Katarina's room. Being too tired to walk across the building once more, Ashe entered, finding herself surrounded by the very distinct scent of the red haired assassin. The one that she'd grown accustomed to, and thinking she might never feel the comfort of it again, she burst into tears once more. The archer looked around the room, as if it could change as fast as her relationship with its owner did. She was familiar with every single inch of this room. In the last month, she had spent here more time than in her own. There was a lot of her stuff there, from items of daily necessity to those that merely decorated the place. Though when she looked at some things, she couldn't clearly remember whether they were hers or Katarina's. Trying not to think about it too much, she dropped onto the redhead's bed and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

The Sinister Blade woke up with a sinister headache. In the first moments after she opened her eyes, she couldn't quite make out where she was, only that she was moving. She was seated in a carriage, almost too luxurious for Noxian measures. "Good morning," she heard Swain's mocking voice, "although it's closer to noon than to morning now."

She and the general had left the Institute under the cover of night. Though he was certain of his victory, Swain had opted for staying vigilant, just in case something went wrong. There was a caravan of soldiers waiting for them outside of the building, but Katarina hadn't paid too much attention to them, as she was currently drowning in her sorrow. Under threats of violence, she'd acquired a bottled of hard Noxian liquor from one of the soldiers and downed it over the course of the next few minutes. It hadn't seemed to quench her thirst, so she'd taken more from other soldiers and soon fell unconscious. Only the awakening the next day brought on the painful realization of what she had done, alongside a gut wrenching feeling of guilt and regret.

"I fucked up!" she groaned loudly, "I fucked up so badly!"

"Nothing new under the sun." Swain replied stoically.

"What the fuck, Swain?" the assassin snarled, "Must you mock me when I have a terrible hangover?"

"No, I don't" the general stated just as calmly as before, "it is my own choice, not a necessity. What were you thinking, Katarina?"

"What? My theory made perfect sense!"

"Yes, up to the point where the queen of Freljord, pure as freshly fallen snow, is a cold-blooded killer. Did you really believe that? What did you think her next move would be? Starting a war with Demacia? Destroying the Institute? Carrying out a plan for world domination?"

Not knowing what to say, Katarina propped her head against the carriage's frame. She let her troubled mind wander and her wary eyes relax. She tried to look outside the window, but the scenery she was passing felt somehow surreal. The towns and villages, hills and woods, all of it seemed like it was shrouded in some strange veil, protecting it from being entirely grasped by her. The lowest branches of the windswept trees standing by the road were so close she could grab them if she would just stretch her arm a bit further, yet they somehow eluded her. She was thinking if it meant that all of this was just a terrible dream and she would soon wake up in a world where nothing is messed up and the Frost Archer still wants to be her girlfriend, or at least her friend. Then she shrugged and blamed her current feelings on the amount of alcohol she had consumed the night before.

"Why are we going to Noxus in the first place?" Katarina asked Swain, needing to distract herself from the thing she didn't want to think about. Yet they were still flooding her mind.

"I'm glad that you asked," he remarked. "as you might know, last week I sent general Darius to Noxus in order to train a platoon of special troops. The truth is, he had an entirely different set of orders. With a map detailing the sewers under our home city - the one you delivered from the Institute - my people worked for weeks to narrow the area where our enemies might have been hiding. Once we had the exact location, Darius was supposed to finish the job."

"So we won?" Katarina asked with a slightly confused tone in her voice.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, there is still plenty of work that needs to be done."

"So what's the plan?" the assassin asked as she massaged her throbbing head.

Swain looked at her with an expression of complete disdain.

"I believe I already explained my plan to you three times yesterday."

"I was drunk. I didn't pay attention." Katarina groaned.

"You should get sober before we reach Noxus. I need you prepared for anything."

Katarina nodded quickly and drifted back to sleep. Though the wheels of their carriage were turning quickly, the road ahead of them was long. And at its end, something they had planned for so long - a better future for their city, one that would not be ruled by the manners of a madman. Yet everything Katarina was able to think about before her eyes sealed shut, was the Frost Archer. She knew that she had ruined everything, that what she had done could never be taken back or reversed, but she decided not to dwell on that. Instead she tried to think about the good things, about how at the very beginning she didn't trust the Freljordian one bit, but gradually learned to. She knew she put Ashe through a lot and she didn't understand how the archer could put up with it for so long. If she were in Ashe's place, she would have cast herself aside weeks ago. But the archer hadn't done that and Katarina could only wonder why. She thought of the way she treated Ashe when they first started fake dating. How she'd kept pushing her away. And yet, Ashe had stayed. Not only that, she'd helped Katarina through the worst, without asking, without wanting anything in return. Only, looking at it in retrospect, the Noxian realized that Ashe may have wanted something in return – her. Maybe all she wanted was for Katarina to be there for her just like she was always there for the redhead. It wasn't too much to give - in fact, it was only a very little - but Katarina obviously wasn't capable of doing so.

She woke up from her nap and found that Swain had prepared a complete tactical briefing for her. When she scoffed and shook her head he looked at her in disbelief.

"What? Did you think that we would just waltz into the High Command and ask them nicely to give me the throne?" he asked in an irritated tone.

"Yep."

"Throne's aren't something you simply ask for," the general continued in his ranting. "you have to take it by force, and crush everyone who would try to stop you."

Katarina noticed that he was looking at her with a threatening glare.

"Fuck, Swain, I don't want your fucking throne," she snarled, "you can sit on it until your ass falls off."

"No need to be so harsh, Katarina," the general commented, "and besides, the ass isn't one of those body parts that can just fall off like that."

"Whatever!" Katarina growled, "Just tell me the fucking plan."

Swain sighed at her impatience. "Even though Darkwill is defeated, we can still expect heavy resistance from his sympathizers. We need to engage them on all fronts. I will remain at the High Command and reason with those willing to, Darius will rally our forces and crush the rebelling ones in direct combat, and maybe intimidate the rest into obedience. And there will be some who will conspire behind our backs and try to overthrow me; it will be your task to take care of them. And that's why I need you sober and ready."

The assassin shot him a deadly glare.

"Then, after all of that is finished," Swain continued, "comes the most important part."

"Paperwork." Katarina sighed.

"Exactly," the general agreed, "empires mightier than Noxus have fallen because they didn't fill their papers out with great precision."

"Fuck!" the assassin groaned, "Could my life get any worse?"

Swain looked at her with disdain and disapprovingly shook his head.

"Listen to me, Katarina," he said slowly, carefully stressing every word, "you can't go on like this. You have to steel yourself. Trust me, I have seen you at your worst. I have seen you after the High Command forced you to abandon your father on his mission to Freljord, I have seen you after your mother died, and though I know that you didn't have exactly the best relationship with her, the loss hurt you deeply. I have also seen you after we told you that your that time lover Riven was considered dead after her unit was destroyed in Ionia. No matter how much you were affected by those events, you were always able to keep your wits about you, and you never resorted to doing this... whatever this is. So could you just stop brooding over your lost lover and focus on the task ahead?"

Katarina carefully observed the general. She was only half focused on listening to his speech, yet she still knew there was supposed to be a secret message hidden in his words.

"What are you trying to say?" she asked. Sometimes she was just too tired to play his games.

"What I am trying to say is that you have gotten soft by the Frost Archer's side-"

Katarina was indignant. "- oh, shut up, Swain!" She interrupted him.

"- I have also noticed that you were happier than I have seen you in years," he continued without pause.

The assassin stared at him with her eyes wide open in disbelief. She was so used to suppressing her own feelings that she sometimes didn't even notice that they would change.

"No need to be so surprised, Katarina," Swain chuckled. "I have known you for a very long time, and have learned to notice even the smallest shifts in your mood and behaviour, because that is all you would ever give away."

The redhead just sighed and returned to her rest. She just barely closed her eyes when the general spoke to her again: "Katarina, would you accept relationship advice from a bitter old man?"

"At this point I would probably accept advice from a giant talking mushroom. One of Teemo's giant mushrooms. I'm that desperate."

"You need to give it time," Swain said with a tone of sincerity uncommon for his voice.

"Time? What for?" Katarina didn't understand. "Time? What for?"

"Right now she is angry, and she has every right to be," the general started explaining, "but that will fade away and eventually she will try to remember the good things about you. You need to give her time to miss you."

"So I can do your dirty work in the meantime, right?" the assassin scoffed.

"Yes, everyone wins this way." Swain agreed.

"Fine, let's say that I agree," Katarina now focused her full attention on the general. "what happens then?"

"Well, that depends," Swain said, glad that he was able to pique Katarina's interest.

"On what?" the assassin was now listening with great care.

"Does she love you?" Swain asked calmly.

"How the fuck am I supposed to know? I'm not some fucking psychic that can read her mind!"

"Did she ever do anything that could reveal if she has some feelings for you?"

"No," Katarina said immediately, and only then started thinking about it, "yes... maybe... I don't know."

"I think that you know." the general smirked at her.

The redhead seemed to drift away completely, unable to mutter a single word. Her mind was just playing the last month in retrospect, highlighting every moment she had spent with Ashe.

"You don't have to tell me," Swain said, "but it is important that you know it for yourself."

Katarina didn't respond, so he continued: "When we deal with the more pressing matters in Noxus, I might let you go back to the Institute, but only if you promise me to send your sister to aid me. She was always better with the paperwork, anyway."

"Swain, why are you doing all of this?" the assassin didn't understand, "Why are you helping me in matters that don't concern you at all?"

"I believe that's what your father would do," Swain replied quietly, "if he were here, of course."

Katarina nodded, letting herself sink into her memories again, but she could only think about Ashe. She recalled the way the archer scolded her when she did something stupid, or how she laughed at Katarina's jokes. She recalled Ashe's long, silky white hair, and her eyes, the deep blue eyes she could get lost in - those were without a doubt the most beautiful eyes in the whole world. But it wasn't just that, there was something more to the archer. She carried herself like a true queen, earning the respect of everyone she met, and though she may seem cold and detached at times, she was in fact a deeply caring and loving person. And now, only thinking about it, Katarina could finally admit that she was in love with the archer.

* * *

"Frost Archer, I hope you understand the danger you put everyone through," the voice of High Councilor Kolminye echoed in the room, as Ashe was once again seated against the complete Council of Summoners. Well, not all of them - she noticed that the Noxian and Freljordian representative were missing, probably because this hearing was about her and Katarina. Nevertheless, she felt like she was about to undergo the Judgement for a second time, only now the perspective was much worse.

"I do," Ashe admitted.

"Oh, you do now?" the High Councilor, usually calm and collected, seethed with rage. "You harbored a potential murderer, sabotaged the investigation, and lied to this very Council! Why? What could you possibly hope to accomplish?!"

"I believed that Katarina was innocent," the archer said so quietly she almost whispered, "and I was right."

"Right? That you were!" Kolminye said angrily, but then calmed herself down and continued in an indifferent tone: "Ashe, do you think being in charge of this place is easy? Do you know what I have to deal with every day? Not only do we have here Noxians and Demacians who want to kill each other, there are monsters and undead here, and your three Freljordian tribes are also causing troubles. The League is home to more than one hundred and twenty champions, more than half of them are running from their own past, and it's my job to ensure that they don't kill each other or [don't] bring this place down in a fit of rage. Sometimes it's like sitting on a barrel of hexplosives, so understand that I can't have anyone just take justice in their own hands like this."

"I simply could not let you execute an innocent person." Ashe said resolutely.

"We both know that Katarina Du Couteau is very far from innocent."

"She's innocent in this, and that's all that matters."

"So you're defending her even after what she has done to you?" the High Councilor shook her head, "What do I do to you? Don't think that I will let you walk away unpunished. Let me think... you're banned from the League matches for one week, I think that will do. I would be much harsher on you, but I think that Katarina has already hurt you enough. As for the Sinister Blade, we will deal with her once she returns from Noxus."

"Thank you for your kindness, High Councilor," Ashe said as she was leaving the Judgement Tower.

Right after she closed the door behind her, she was surprised to find Vi and Caitlyn there, waiting for her.

"Oh shit!" Vi exclaimed once she looked at the archer's face.

"What's wrong?" Ashe didn't understand, "do I look that bad?"

Her eyes were red from crying, and she had deep dark circles under them. Her hair was tangled and messy, and her clothes looked like she'd slept in them - which she had.

"No, it's nothing," Caitlyn lied, "you just look a bit tired, that's all."

"I think those are kinder words than I deserve," Ashe said sadly, "how are you guys not mad at me? You're my friends and I lied to you."

"We are..." Vi replied, but then her girlfriend nudged her and she corrected herself, "we were mad, but then we saw what Katarina did to you."

"We decided that you need us now more than ever," Caitlyn said, smiling at Ashe, "are you alright?"

"Yes, I am completely fine," the archer started and was immediately interrupted by a loud growl from her stomach. She hadn't eaten since the last evening with Katarina, and now that felt like a lifetime ago.

"It's almost lunch time, isn't it?" Caitlyn asked in response.

"Yeah, it is," Vi replied. The pink haired enforcer then grabbed Ashe and, along with Caitlyn, led Ashe out of the building, "you need to eat something, Ashe. Later we can go for a drink, to get your mind off that thing."

"Or we could go shopping!" Caitlyn suggested excitedly.

"Maybe we could go shopping and then for a drink?" Ashe felt like she shouldn't disappoint one of her friends, so she proposed a compromise.

"But if we go shopping first, we won't have enough money to pay for drinks later," Caitlyn expressed her deepest concern.

Vi gently took her girlfriend's hand and looked her deep in the eyes: "Cupcake, most people can control themselves while they're shopping."

"Yeah," the sheriff sighed, "most people."

The rest of the day went surprisingly well for the Frost Archer. She bought two new dresses, a pair of high boots, and some fancy underwear. To add on to that, she was also able to not think about Katarina for two hours straight, which she saw as a tremendous success once her thoughts were once again set on the red haired Noxian. Though her friends were there mostly to help her, Vi also had to make sure that Caitlyn didn't spend all of their money on new clothes. The afternoon passed relatively quickly and as the sun started to set, the three of them retreated into the Institute's loud bar, where they could discuss the events of their lives. Ashe took her full glass of wine from the table, raised it to her lips, and downed it in an instant.

"I still remember that I was barely drinking before I started fake-dating her," she said and chuckled bitterly. She just finished telling the other two the whole story, the truth about her relationship with Katarina.

"Wow," Caitlyn was in awe. "I didn't know anything about her past. She really had to trust you if she told you the things she didn't tell anyone else."

"And it also makes the way she reacted absolutely rational," Vi added.

"How?" both Ashe and Caitlyn turned at her with this question.

"Well," the enforcer took a sip from her glass before she continued talking, "if every* *time she falls in love she finds out that the other woman wanted to betray her all along, it's only logical to expect the same thing the next time. And then... her theory. You actually gave her all the evidence. You simply have to admit that the theory made sense, even if you're not a Noxian assassin with a history of mental abuse and trust issues."

"So you're saying that she loves me?" Ashe wondered.

"I would bet my last coin on it." Vi replied with a smirk. "That is, if Caitlyn doesn't spend it first."

Ashe chuckled and then let out a deep sigh. "Girls, I think I have to tell you something. I have never been in love or in relationship..."

"With another woman, yes, we know," Vi interrupted her.

"No, I mean at all."

"What?!" both halves of Piltover's Finest were staring at her in shock.

"I became the leader of my tribe when I was fifteen," the archer started explaining, "and then it was only about responsibility. People were intimidated by my position and those who weren't just wanted to get closer to the throne and the power. I didn't have time for love. I had crushes, but they never led to anything. And then I joined the League. I entered a whole new world. I saved one ungrateful asshole and she started slowly changing for me. I noticed that she treated me differently than others, she didn't see me as her queen but as who I really am. I believed I was special for her, so I fell for her too and hoped for a happy ending. Gods, I was so stupid."

"Don't worry, Ashe, it will be fine," Caitlyn tried to sooth her.

"I don't even know what to do," the archer almost burst into tears.

"You don't have to do anything," the sheriff continued, "now it's her turn."

"You think she will return even after I told her to go away?" Ashe asked with a hint of hope in her voice.

"If she loves you, she will."

"Yeah, and when she does, we'll kick her ass and make her stay with you," Vi added with a wide grin.

"Thank you, girls," Ashe said softly after she downed another glass of wine, "you're the best."

"Hey, Ashe," Caitlyn addressed the archer, "would you like to stay with us for a couple of nights? We have a free room."

"I would really like that," Ashe said with a small, genuine smile.

They ordered their next round of drinks and once they finished it, left for the night.

* * *

After several days of monotonous journey, the carriage finally stopped in front of the Noxian High Command. The building stood atop the entire city, making it both a good observation point and an indestructible fortress. There was an incredibly long staircase leading to the building's gates, carved right into the mountain the city was built on. And during the most brutal fights for power over Noxus, it sometimes turned into an endless waterfall of crimson. As general Swain stepped out of the carriage, he took a deep breath of the Noxian air, as if he craved it with his entire being. He started walking up the stairs, only as slowly as his wounded leg allowed him to, followed by a group of his loyal soldiers and an extremely depressed red haired assassin.

"Do you remember, Katarina," he addressed her, and, though his voice was cold and strict as always, there was a certain excitement in it he struggled hard to conceal, "how I told you that a storm was coming to Noxus? This is it, and we are its heralds; we are its first lightnings!"

"You get really poetic when you're drunk with your power, Swain," Katarina remarked with as much sarcasm as she was able to put into one sentence.

On both sides of the staircase there were larger than life statues of the past Grand Generals, looking down with contempt at Katarina and Swain as if they were unworthy of walking up those stairs. Katarina always felt touched by the sight of them, but Swain mostly ignored them. When they reached the massive gate, the guards opened it and the man who believed he would be the next Grand General was let inside alongside his companions. The gate closed behind them even faster than it opened. Swain's guards fell down impaled by the swords of enemies and the general and Katarina found themselves surrounded by a small army of soldiers in black-and-red uniforms, who had their weapons pointed directly at them.

"What is this treachery?!" Swain yelled with venom in his voice, while Katarina unsheathed her blades, "Who leads these men?!"

"I do," a voice roared through the troops, and its owner soon showed himself as well.

"Darius?" Swain was speechless, what didn't happen often. "What...? Why...?"

"I'm done being your dog, Swain!" the younger general said as an explanation.

"So you choose to be Darkwill's dog instead?" Swain countered. The younger man just growled and gave his soldiers an order to escort their prisoners. Both Katarina and Swain were aware where exactly were they being taken, and neither of them liked the idea.

After it was founded, the city of Noxus worked as a normal country, but as the years passed and the city's judicial system turned into a true mockery of justice, its Supreme Court became an effective tool in the political power game between the generals. The cases were often precisely constructed, accusations false, all evidence planted or forged, witnesses intimidated and instead of them actors and liars were hired. But not this day, not when the future of Noxus was at stake.

Katarina and Swain were roughly shoved into its main courtroom, bound in chains as criminals. At the high table, where the judge would normally be seated, they saw their main enemy, General Keiran Darkwill, a mere shadow of his father, yet he proudly pretended to be just as tall and twice as strong. He had creepy small eyes and had shaved his head in order to hide his receding hairline.

"Champion Katarina of house Du Couteau and general Jericho Swain," Darkwill started speaking, "you stand here accused of murder of a High Command member, general Zardas, and that means a high treason against Noxus. Any words for your defense?"

They had to say something, they couldn't give up without a fight.

"Talon did that!" Katarina yelled.

"You have no evidence against us!" Swain added.

"I might not have any evidence," Darkwill said with a vicious smirk, "but I certainly have a witness. Summoner Corlan, come forward."

The summoner, a Noxian on the Council, slowly walked forward as both Katarina and Swain stared at him in shock.

"Summoner Corlan," Darkwill continued, "would you tell us, what was your role in this conspiracy?"

Corlan spoke calmly, as if his conscience was entirely clean, or as if he felt no remorse at all: "I was instructed by general Swain to teleport lady Du Couteau back into the Institute of War once the deed was finished. She also gave me a verbal confirmation of what she had done. I believe this proves that both of them were involved with the death of general Zardas."

"You bastard! You fucking bastard, I'll gut you!" Katarina started screaming at Corlan until four soldiers restrained her.

"It indeed does," Darkwill smirked even more, if it was still possible, "tell me, summoner Corlan, what made you change your mind about the conspiration?"

"I realized where my true loyalty lies, my lord."

Darkwill stood up, and with him everyone in the courtroom.

"Champion Katarina of house Du Couteau and general Jericho Swain, you are hereby found guilty of your crimes. Guards, take them!"

* * *

**Author's notes: So, it has been a long time :) but I'm back and I'm really sorry that it took me this long. In the beginning I was telling myself that I still had time, and it was true, but then laziness took over me and I couldn't push myself to write. And then a new semester started, and I also had to spend two weeks without any internet connection. No words can express how sorry I am for letting you wait such a long time, and I am also thankful that you still read my story and I hope you enjoy it. :) But I could say that I needed the time to put my life back together a bit. :)**

**Another thing - if you're confused about the final scene of this chapter, you might want to reread chapters 5,6,7, and 12.**

**Also thanks to my wonderful beta reader Creator0fWords.**


	15. Chapter 15: Kept in the Dark

Chapter 15: Kept in the Dark

* * *

_The Mastery of Indirect Warfare_

_In the early stages of its existence, Noxus experienced the most significant territorial growth during the reign of Grand General Gerrick Tharion. It was also when the country's status changed from a mere city-state to an empire. Though young and inexperienced at the beginning of his reign, Tharion had everything that could make a Noxian great: he proved to be both a skilled tactician and a ruthless tyrant. After his troops conquered several smaller city-states, he earned the ire of the locals by making unpopular decisions, such as raising the taxes on the occupied territories and conscribing most of their young men into a new special battalion of his army. It was no surprise that the rest of the nobility and military started conspiring to overthrow him._

_As soon as he heard the news of the brewing rebellion, Tharion sent several of his most trusted men to infiltrate it under the false pretense of betraying him and wanting to aid the conspirators. The agents offered their vast knowledge of the Grand General's strategies and secrets. The rebels didn't trust them at first, but they had no choice, because word was out that Tharion planned to strike hard against the conspirators. The agents soon proved their loyalty and worth to the rebellion when, guiding the rebel troops, they defeated the Grand General's forces in the battle of the decade. What the rebels didn't know was that the forces they had crushed were made up almost entirely of the men Tharion had conscribed earlier._

_After this glorious 'victory', Tharion's agents soon rose through the rebel ranks and, working together, they assumed the positions of the leaders. The rebellion, however, ended in truce. Its leaders were declared governors of the conquered territories, and later led the peaceful negotiations with the Grand General, which resulted in their further integration under Noxian rule, cementing Tharion's hold on them._

_As for Tharion himself, he was murdered in his sleep by his own daughter several years later, after she found out that he had arranged a marriage for her. She immediately escaped Noxus and then proceeded to live the rest of her life peacefully with a woman she met on her travels._

_Excerpt from The Brief and Bloody History of Early Noxus, written by summoner Elethaera._

* * *

It was just before dawn and the great city of Noxus slept an uneasy sleep, like a traveler forced to spend the night in the woods - desperate to lay their weary body to rest, yet keeping one eye open to watch for any predators.

There was always something going on in Noxus. Even on the most average days, the city was swarming with life. New recruits were sweating blood in the numerous training camps, a young seductress drugged and robbed a careless noble, beggars were fighting sewer rats for the better, juicier bits from the city's trash cans, a High Command messenger was stabbed in a dark back alley by a group of street thugs, unaware of the doom they brought upon themselves, and old generals were standing over even older maps, thinking about what part of the world could they still invade without violating the peace treaties Noxus had to sign upon joining the League of Legends as a faction. Of course there were also the well-armed troops of elite soldiers patrolling the city, although today their numbers were tripled.

One such patrol marched through the relatively peaceful streets of the market district. They were sweeping the streets in search for an enemy, ready to draw their swords at the first sight of disobedience. They were used to being shown respect, and if not, they were supposed to show why they deserved it. So it was only normal that they were surprised when a young boy, an orphan or a street urchin, stood in their way, picked up a stone, and threw it directly at the troop's commander. Then he started running and the soldiers were right on his heels. They weren't able to catch him; the boy knew every back alley and turn in the surroundings, and he had the advantage of not wearing heavy armor. The soldiers followed him relentlessly, ready to show that no one could escape from Noxian justice. The boy was nowhere to be seen and they found themselves standing in the middle of a relatively small yard between two large warehouses. The area was entirely closed off and they slowly realized that they were lured into a trap. They heard two massive stone counterweights drop from their hidden compartments in the buildings' walls and a heavy gate of steel sealed shut and trapped them in the area. Strange figures soon appeared on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings - they were Noxian soldiers too, but sworn to a different general of the High Command. They started dropping something onto the troops below them, which showed to be small metal canisters of Zaunite make, just like the poisonous gas inside of them.

Once the gas had dissipated, the soldiers from the roofs climbed down and stood over the bodies of their dead enemies. Their commander, an ordinary man in an ordinary uniform, ordered them to strip the dead bodies of all their equipment and drop them somewhere in the sewers. Then they put the uniforms of the dead men on themselves and started patrolling the city in search for their enemies, now looking exactly like them. They had been on a mission. A secret mission of the utmost importance. When they had first left the barracks, hardly anyone had known of the events from the day before. The High Command had been so secretive about it that their effort had bordered with paranoia. However, these soldiers had known. For years they had been an elite squad in service of one of the most powerful Noxian generals. Their commander had received a message in the middle of the night, detailing the events of the previous day, and also containing new orders, telling him what to do next.

Passing by the city's outer wall, they encountered yet another enemy troop, which would have attacked them on sight were they not wearing disguises. This way, the enemy commander only greeted them with a simple nod. Both units kept marching side by side, separated only by a thin line of ground. They soon reached the poorest districts of the city, located near the docks, and now, at the break of dawn, the backwater streets looked almost abandoned. They slowly drew closer to the corner of the city's walls, and then the disguised troops attacked. They were ready, and trained for a situation like this one. The moment their commander ordered them to strike, they raised their shields and started pushing their enemies against the mighty stone wall, spreading around them to gain the advantage, as only a small number of their enemies could face them since the rest was pushed back too far to be useful in combat. Another great advantage of the attackers was the element of surprise. Many soldiers from the other troop fell down dead before they even realized what was going on, and the rest were too shocked to draw their weapons until they were helplessly pressed against each other, barely able to move. The attackers didn't hesitate one bit, their swords and spears were striking from both under and over their shields, claiming more lives with each passing second. Soon it was over. The defending soldiers didn't have enough space to draw their blades, and their enemies eventually came for them, stepping over the unmoving bodies of their dead comrades. The disguised troop won the fight without any casualties and their commander was just about ready to order them to walk away when he noticed something moving below him. He looked down and saw the face of an enemy soldier. It was a very young man, almost a boy, who had somehow survived the massacre. His helmet must have fallen off his head as he hit the ground. The commander could see that his eyes were the color of the morning sky and that his light hair was streaked with fresh blood. He coughed out more of the crimson liquid that was flooding his lungs. The commander looked down at him, unsheathed his sword once more and drove it through the boy's neck. He had his orders - none of their enemies could survive. The disguised soldiers left the scene, leaving the corpses for scavengers. Now it didn't matter if anyone saw them anymore. There were more enemies to find and get rid of in the same way.

* * *

"When I was a young, low ranking officer in the military, I was a part of a mission behind the Great Barrier."

Katarina sighed. She was sitting on a piece of dirty rag and leaning against the wall of her cell. Just like every day since her infamous trial, she was spending her time watching the rectangle of light drawn onto the floor by the outline of the lone, barred window of her cell. It always started on the western wall, around two hours after the dawn, then it proceeded to move down as the sun was rising, and across the floor until it finally faded, mirroring the place where it appeared on the opposite wall. That was one of the ways she tried to entertain herself, to prevent her mind from going numb, and the only sounds keeping her company during the painfully long days in prison were the ranting of general Swain, locked up in a neighbouring cell. On some days she found him annoying, on others she was grateful for his presence, afraid that being alone all the time would drive her into insanity. It looked like he couldn't even fathom how it was possible that he had been defeated. He kept analyzing every single move he made during his entire military career, as if it could tell him how he could expose Corlan's betrayal before it was too late, and thus prevent his own downfall from happening.

"It wasn't a very important mission," the general kept talking, "it was in the days before the League, and our endless war with Demacia was still raging, so most of our troops were deployed on the western front. However, it was supervised by Boram Darkwill, and its success could be one of the matters that led to his ascent to the throne."

Katarina picked up a small wooden bowl from the ground beside her and submerged her fingers into the thick, grey-ish brown substance inside of it. After the first day in the prison she had come to an unsurprising conclusion – the food smelled like shit and tasted even worse. When her hunger became unbearable, she had to overcome disgust and force down some of the stew. However, at the beginning of her second week of imprisonment, she had become almost used to it. She had to eat it with her hands, as the guards didn't trust her enough to give her a spoon. They had given her one on the first day though, which she'd kept and sharpened on one of the more angular stones in her cell's walls, before putting it through a guard's neck at the first chance she got.

"We easily defeated the native Minotaur tribes," Katarina heard that Swain's ranting wasn't over yet, "though they showed to be worthy adversaries, their brute strength couldn't compare to our military discipline and strategy. We won, but that wasn't all. The goal of our mission was to annihilate the enemy entirely. Their leaders surrendered to us, but there were rebellious groups among them, who kept fighting with stronger resolve and much more cunning. We told them that we needed to resettle them, to move them further south, away from Noxian territory. They believed us - they wanted to stop the fighting, just as we did. They had no idea that they were walking into a trap."

The assassin stood up in her cell, walked over to the window and leaned against the wall, so she could be as close as possible and hear Swain more clearly; she was suddenly intrigued by what he was saying.

"I remember that day as if it were yesterday. I remember how they were filled with hope as they were approaching the culling pits," the general went silent, although only for a brief moment.

"Have you ever seen an adult Minotaur, Katarina?" He addressed the redhead directly for the first time in days, but didn't wait for her answer, "They can grow twice as tall as a grown man. They walked towards their death peacefully, guarded only by a handful of our soldiers. Had they known what awaited them, they would have broken free without much effort.

The general paused for a moment, and Katarina heard him take a deep breath. "You know, Katarina, when you want to get rid of your enemies - not just defeat them, but completely eradicate them - you need a plan. Direct combat can be very tricky, so the best way is to be clever. You need to deceive your enemies, pull the strings from the shadows the way that no one can see it, keep them in the dark, so they can't do anything until it's too late. Just like we were kept in the dark now. That's how Darkwill tricked me into killing one of my most loyal supporters and was able to jail me for it to get me out of the way. And now, those who supported me are being slaughtered in the streets."

Katarina knew what he meant, she was too looking down at the Noxus harbor, and the poorest parts of the city that were surrounding it. Sometimes she heard or even saw the fights, and she knew that Swain did too. It happened quite often since they were imprisoned, mostly when it was dark. Then she would only hear the distinct sounds of combat, but she knew what was happening anyway. Two groups of soldiers clashed, Noxians against Noxians, only their uniforms were different. Black and red for Darkwill, black and green for Swain, but in the end all of them were dyed red. Not the way it should be.

"This isn't over yet," Swain said absent mindedly, and so quietly that Katarina almost didn't hear him.

"What do you mean?" she asked in response.

"They let us live, for the beginning" the general stated calmly, "they gave us cells with a view and they're feeding us actual food. There must be a reason why they didn't kill us right away."

"Maybe they just want to keep us in good health and right minds, so that we could get more intense experience from the killing itself," Katarina snarked.

"I don't think so," Swain ignored her sarcasm completely, so she knew he was analyzing everything once again, "if this was only about the throne, I would be dead already. Darkwill must be after some of the secrets, but what will he do with them? Does he want to blackmail the nobility? Or send assassins after our people who deserted in Ionia? Or maybe he is after the magical artifacts we dug up in the Shuriman desert?"

"Or maybe he just wants you to over think yourself to death," the assassin remarked ironically.

"That is highly unlikely," the general spoke in his typical calm voice, "try being more realistic, Katarina."

"Realistic?!" the assassin jumped up and screeched, "I am fucking realistic, Swain! And you know what else is realistic? This fucking prison!"

Katarina was mad. She punched the cold stone wall so hard her knuckles started bleeding, but she didn't feel the pain through her rage.

"You lost," she shouted at Swain, "so get over it. Someone finally outsmarted you - you wanted the throne, but now you have to shit in a bucket!"

"Such bitter irony, indeed," the general said dryly.

"At least you know how I feel every single time you beat me at chess," Katarina sighed when she calmed down.

"This isn't a game of chess," Swain responded, more to himself than to the redhead, "or maybe it is, but in that case, I'm afraid that Darkwill isn't the player."

"And who is it then?" Katarina asked in confusion.

"We'll see."

"We'll see?"

"Yes," Swain said calmly, "after all, time can answer even the most complicated questions."

* * *

The Frost Archer had quite the successful day. She played two games, and both of them ended in her team's victory. During her week long ban from the League matches, she had spent every second of her free time training. Every morning, she had run several rounds around the Institute's building, both as an exercise and to clear her head from thoughts of a certain Noxian assassin. She had also frequently visited the training room, and had spent hours shooting her arrows at the wooden training dummies with incredible speed and precision. She wanted to be ready to return to the battlefield, but when that day finally came, she couldn't focus, her aim was sloppy, and she was completely out of sync with her summoner. It got better eventually, but only today had she managed to get back to the level she'd played at before all those things had happened to her - before Katarina.

Ashe was just leaving the post game lobby. She shook hands with both allies and enemies, both champions and summoners. She was just walking away and into the vast maze of hallways that formed the Institute of War, when a young woman approached her. She was wearing the purple robes of a summoner from Piltover and her red hair was tied in a very neat braid hanging over her right shoulder.

"Greetings, Frost Archer," the woman spoke. Ashe instantly recognized her voice, but until now she didn't know the face it belonged to. She knew that this woman used to summon her on a regular basis.

"May I talk to you for a moment?" the summoner asked.

"Of course," Ashe nodded, "what is this about?"

"I... My name is summoner Loraine," the woman stuttered, "I just... I wanted to tell you that you played exceptionally well today."

"Well, thank you," Ashe did her best to sound polite, even though she was really confused about this entire situation, "is that all?"

"No, of course not," summoner Loraine was slowly choking out her words, "I also heard about what happened to you, and I'd like you to know that I feel sorry for you, because I think that you're a beautiful woman and no one should ever do something like that to you."

"Thank you for your concern," said the archer, who was by now entirely weirded out by this strange conversation.

"Also, since you're single now," the summoner continued, "I wanted to ask if you wouldn't like to go out with me or something?"

"Are you asking me on a date?" Ashe's voice was reflecting the shock she was currently in.

"Uhm.. yes?" the summoner asked hesitantly.

"I'm sorry," the archer said compassionately, "I'm not in a mood for dating right now."

"And even if I were," she thought, but she didn't say it aloud, "it wouldn't be with someone I barely know."

As the summoner was slowly walking away, Ashe realized that there was someone watching her. As she turned around, she spotted Caitlyn and Vi, the former was trying hard to suppress her laughter, while the latter was disapprovingly shaking her head.

"Ashe," Vi said as the archer came up to them, "If you keep acting like that, you're gonna die alone."

"So I take it that you're to blame for this?" Ashe said coldly.

"Ashe, we were just trying to help you," Caitlyn started talking, "and her too. Loraine's had a crush on you for quite a while."

The Frost Archer eyed both of them with the commanding stare she had reserved for when some of her tribesmen got out of line.

"First, I don't need you to set me up with random strange women," Ashe was trying to control herself, but it was obvious that she was angry, "and second, I don't WANT you to set me up with random strange women."

"What's wrong?" Vi asked, genuinely curious, "She's a redhead, so..."

"What does it have to do with that?" Ashe didn't understand.

"Well, that's your thing, isn't it? Red hair? I mean, that's why you were with Katarina, right?" the pink haired enforcer kept asking, but Ashe started feeling uncomfortable.

"Vi, stop, please," Caitlyn tried to scold her girlfriend.

"So you think that I was with her for the color of her hair?" the archer asked with tears forming in her eyes.

"There must have been something," Vi said resolutely, "and it certainly wasn't her shining personality."

"Vi!" Caitlyn hissed.

"She also has great boobs..." Vi kept talking and both of the other women wished that she didn't, "...but not as great as my beautiful girlfriend..."

"I'm sorry, Ashe, but I have to take this weirdo back to our room," the Sheriff of Piltover said as she grabbed Vi's hand and dragged her away. Ashe was left alone, standing there with her jaw dropped and wondering what exactly had just happened.

That day, she was summoned one more time, and managed to turn that chance into another victory. Later, she retired to the training room for the rest of the day, practiced with her bow, and didn't leave until she was too exhausted to continue. She was on her way back to her room but suddenly stopped and found herself in a hallway leading towards the Noxian wing. She looked around to see if there was someone watching her, but she couldn't see anyone. Ashe slowly treaded closer to Katarina's room. She knew that the door would be unlocked. She'd left it that way after she had spent a night there. The room was dark and messy, and still kept Katarina's distinct scent, but now it felt somehow empty and unwelcoming, due to the absence of said Noxian. There were way fewer clothes scattered around the room, and no more blades lodged in the furniture. Ashe was thinking that she might have made a difference in Katarina's life after all. She looked around; the blinds were shut and the bed was messy, just as Katarina had left it when she had departed for Noxus. Ashe decided she would at least make the assassin's bed, she had done it before for Katarina, and she felt like it was the least she could do now. Before she was about to leave, she noticed her own book, _The Freljord Tales_, on the table in a pile of Katarina's stuff. She picked it up, sat on the Noxian's bed and started rereading the stories she had known since her earliest childhood. But this time, they didn't bring back memories of Ashe spending time with her mother, but rather of Katarina, and Ashe didn't mind that. When she finished reading the thin book, it was already dark and her eyelids felt heavy, so she returned to her room and fell asleep in an instant.

Awakening the next morning was strange. Ashe's body felt relaxed, but her mind was restless. She couldn't stop thinking about Katarina. Not just about how the Noxian looked or smelled, but about every single thing about her, about every sentence they said to each other both before they started fake dating, and after that.

The common area of the Institute was peaceful in the morning - well, except that one table Ashe decided to sit at. Piltover's finest had argued the day before, and now they were trying to make up. Luckily for her, Ashe was able to tune them out and focus on her breakfast. She saw the rays of sunlight shining inside and thought that today would be another successful day. Memories of Katarina kept flooding her mind and there was one among them, that was somehow more present than the others. In that moment, she could clearly remember every single word Katarina had said to her.

_"Yeah, during a skirmish with Demacia in the Kaladoun marshes. I was in a small strike group our general sent to sneak in between two Demacian military encampments. We all had bows, but almost none of us were actual archers, we had not enough men but too much equipment from the fallen ones. We knew where the camps were, they were too loud, but they couldn't see us, there was very thick fog in the marsh. We fired several arrows at both camps and then ran away, and they started shooting at each other."_

Ashe's mind started working at a murderous pace, she felt like she already had all the answers she was looking for, she just wasn't able to put them together in the right way. Not until now. She absent mindedly stood up from the table and ran away, leaving her half eaten bowl of cereals behind her. She made a quick stop in Katarina's room to pick up the fairytale book, and then she went to visit Sejuani.

* * *

"What the fuck do you want here, bitch?!"

Standing on the threshold of the Winter's Wrath's room, Ashe could already tell that Sejuani wasn't excited about her presence.

"Nice to see you too, Sejuani," the archer said sarcastically, "and as to what I want, I'm sure I have something that will interest you. May I come in, please?"

The door immediately closed, but Ashe heard voices inside the room. It opened again not a whole minute later and she walked in. Once inside, she noticed another person in the room. It was summoner Ansii, a tall half barbarian woman with wild dark hair and a cold gaze in her eyes.

"What did you want to talk about, Frost Archer?" the summoner addressed her. She knew that Ansii, Sejuani's head summoner, was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. She was cold, ruthless and logical beyond measure. But Ashe still believed that she had a better chance with her than with the Winter's Wrath.

"I believe I have discovered who was attacking both of our tribes," the archer stated calmly, giving both of the women time to fully absorb that information and understand what it meant for them.

"Who was it then?" summoner Ansii asked, because Sejuani either didn't believe Ashe, or chose to ignore her.

"It was Lissandra," Ashe said and handed the old book she was holding to the summoner, "read the very last story."

"Are you saying that she is the witch from the story?" Ansii asked after both she and Sejuani finished reading.

"I believe so," the archer said sincerely, "we don't know how old is she or anything else about her tribe."

"Why do you think it was her who attacked us?" the summoner asked another question, because Sejuani was obviously *still* refusing to talk to Ashe.

"I believe that she sent a group of soldiers directly between our territories, and when they were attacking us, it simply looked like our tribes turned on each other," the archer explained, "I'm aware that Noxus used this particular strategy in its campaign against Demacia."

Summoner Ansii quickly filled the missing details of the plan they managed to uncover: "So she wanted to provoke us to attack each other so that she could take over both our tribes more easily? That sounds very clever."

"I don't trust her," Sejuani stated angrily, "this all might be a ploy against us!"

Summoner Ansii took a deep breath, "Sejuani, I see where your concerns are coming from, but I don't believe that the Frost Archer could gain anything by turning against us now. I believe that she speaks the truth, and so should you."

The Winter's Wrath was completely shocked by that statement, and so was Ashe; she just didn't let it show on her face.

"What do you propose, Frost Archer?" the summoner asked again, "It is obvious that the perpetrators of those attacks must be dealt with, and I don't believe in the League's ability to solve this problem."

"I think that refraining from attacking each other will be enough, since Lissandra's entire plan relied on that," Ashe replied, trying to find the most peaceful solution.

"I disagree," Sejuani roared, "they dared to strike at us, so we must crush them!"

"Yes," Ansii agreed, "but we need the help of the Avarosan tribe. What do you say, Ashe, are you with us or not?"

The archer felt cornered, pushed into an impossible situation against her will. She knew that if she said yes, her people would go to war, but if she said no, not only one, but both of the other tribes would become her enemies, and her position of queen would be compromised. But the decision was only hers.

"I'm with you," She sighed, feeling defeated.

"Good, now we have to discuss strategy."

* * *

After a three hour long negotiation, Ashe and Sejuani, as well as their summoners, came to an agreement. In one week, all of the Freljordians would leave the Institute for their homeland to arrive there in time for the summer solstice celebration, as was the tradition. The tribes would celebrate together, to make their alliance formal, and once the feast was over, they would get their armies ready to head north and strike at Lissandra's fortress.

Ashe felt exhausted. She didn't hate long political debates, but she didn't like them either. When she left Sejuani's room, she realized she was still holding her old fairytale book, and it made her think about Katarina again. She knew that she most likely wouldn't be there when the assassin returned from Noxus, so she decided to leave the book in Katarina's room as a gesture. On her way back from the Noxian wing, she ran into an old friend, a familiar Demacian summoner.

"Greetings, Ashe," he said in a generally happy voice, that changed when he noticed the look on the archer's face, "you look tired, is there something wrong?"

"I feel like I failed my people," she said sadly, "but I don't want to talk about it."

She also couldn't, or at least not to him, because she was about to violate the peace treaties she had signed when she first joined the League.

"But you look happy," she added, "is there any reason for that?"

"There is," the summoner said, "our king, who had been deathly ill for a long time, has finally gotten better, but that's not all. Our summoner from the council is going back to Demacia to aid with the king's recovery. And they chose me to replace him, so I guess I'm getting promoted!"

"Congratulations!" Ashe replied, "I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you, but you look really sad. Is there anything else bothering you?"

"There is," the archer sighed, "I don't know when will Katarina return, I know that she's an asshole, but I really miss her."

Then summoner remained quiet for a while, and when he spoke, all the happiness was gone from his voice, "So, I take it that you don't know about what happened in Noxus?"

"No," Ashe's voice now mirrored his dead serious tone, "what happened?"

"It's no wonder," he spoke calmly, "the High Command is keeping it a secret. The thing is, Swain's scheme failed, and both he and Katarina were imprisoned. As far as I know, they're both still alive, but they could be executed any minute."

Ashe's face twisted into mask of shock and fear.

"Where do you even know that from?" she asked and her voice trembled as she was speaking.

"We have a spy in the High Command," the summoner said indifferently, "but now I don't know whether in Swain's or Darkwill's inner circle."

"Excuse me, summoner, I need to leave right now."

Ashe started running back towards the Freljordian wing. She quickly located her own head summoner and dragged him into her room.

"You need to leave without me," she stated as she grabbed a geographical atlas of Valoran from her bookshelf, found a page with a detailed map of the city of Noxus, and ripped it from the book.

"What's going on?" the summoner demanded to know.

"I need to go to Noxus. Now."

* * *

**Author's notes: Hello, my lovely readers!**

**I'm sorry that it took me so long to update again, but to my defence, I have a very cute girlfriend now, and she's on my mind all the time.**

**The short excerpt at the beginning of this chapter is just a little idea I had while I was on a bus one evening a few months ago. I wanted to fit it somewhere in this story, and I think that it fits here the best. I wanted it to look like a short piece of Noxian history, which, of course, isn't canon with the LoL lore. Since it was sort of a last minute idea, I don't know whether I will or won't add more of them. I still think that it's an important part of the story, since it sets the tone for all the plotting and scheming that's going on in Noxus.**

**If you have any thought on this chapter or the entire story, please leave a review, I really enjoy reading what my readers think about my work ;)**

**With so many other things going on now in my story, the murder in the Institute is still very important, and by now you should have enough information to figure out who was behind it, so if you have any theories, I would love to know them :)**

**And if you don't feel them comfortable posting them as a review, you can send them to me via a PM :)**

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**This chapter was completed and published thanks to my beta reader, Creator0fWords**


	16. Chapter 16: Since You've Been Gone

Chapter 16: Since You've Been Gone

The sun was slowly setting beyond the horizon and the darkness brought a strange sense of calm with it. The fighting in the streets had stopped several days ago, it seemed obvious that one side had lost. The common criminals who used to swarm the streets were now scared by the possibility of running into a fully armed elite patrol. They still hadn't returned to the streets in their full force, so the great city of Noxus was - for once - unusually safe.

Katarina had attempted to escape from her prison cell multiple times, but all of her attempts ended up in vain. Nevertheless, she spent most of her days exercising until she was too exhausted to go on, in case she'd have another opportunity. Now, due the late hour and a lack of better things to do, she was leaning against the cell wall and watching as the first stars appeared in the night sky. She heard a familiar screech as she noticed that a large dark bird perched upon a nearby tree, its branches reaching out towards the cells closest to it. Katarina recognized Swain's pet raven, but she thought that the bird had flown away when she and Swain were arrested.

It looked like Swain had also noticed that his raven had returned.

"So you have come back to me, Beatrice," he said in an impressed voice. The bird squawked in response.

"What a surprising twist of events," he said with as much sarcasm as possible, "you're free while I am locked in a cage."

The bird squawked again, it sounded like an agreement.

Katarina let out a short cackle. She heard a strange noise coming from below her; there was a rat in her cell, feeding off her bowl of disgusting prison food. She approached the rat from behind, quiet as only an assassin could be, quickly grabbed it from the ground with one hand and then broke its neck with the other. She then stuck her arm through the bars on the window to attract the raven. Beatrice immediately flew over and ripped the dead rat from Katarina's hand.

"Do you know what I'm thinking about, Katarina?" Swain suddenly asked.

"Let me guess," the assassin replied bitterly, "you still can't comprehend how it's possible that your brilliant plan turned to shit."

"I wouldn't have used the exact same words," the general commented, "but yes, that's what I was talking about. Do you want to..."

"Go on," Katarina interrupted him, "not that I have anything better to do other than listen to you."

"The best plans take years to develop," Swain started, his voice calm and steady as he stood in front of the window, absentmindedly staring into the distance, "it takes time to study your enemies, to find out more about them than they want you to know, yet remain hidden at the same time. Every solid plan needs lots of preparations. You need to gather your allies, sort out who can be trusted and who can't, then place the right people in the right positions. If you don't trust them completely, you give them only partial information. You build your plan like a puzzle, piece after piece until it's complete. You set traps, and traps within traps, all to get your enemies exactly where you want them, but the most important part is the distraction."

Katarina remained silent. She knew that Swain wanted her to say something, to somehow acknowledge that she heard everything he was saying. She did, but she was too tired to say anything, tired of being locked away, tired of how hopeless and useless she felt here. She just sighed, sat on the ground, and rested her head against the cold wall.

"When I was first promoted to the High Command," the general started talking again, "I was thrown into a new environment, in which I had no experience with. In the beginning, I didn't have there any friends or allies I could rely on - I mean, besides your father, but one ally doesn't really make any difference. I was left practically alone in a web of schemes and machinations. I didn't want to blindly trust anyone, so I created my own web. I learned how important it is to offer your enemies a distraction. You give them something to think about, something to keep their minds busy while they are trying to get you. It doesn't have to be anything big, but it needs to be enough to spark their wildest fears and imaginations. You need to perform a little play for them, entertain them, and give them what they look for. Or at least what they think they look for. Remember, people tend to believe what they want to believe. If they already think you're a monster, they don't need as much proof. You show them a bright light, yet you stay hidden in the shadows. And when the right moment comes, the wheels start spinning, the curtain falls and your enemies slowly realize that they were tricked."

"Great." Katarina groaned. The next few minutes passed in silence.

"What is it even good for?" she asked, loudly enough for Swain to hear her, "I know what happened, I know why I'm here. And I know I'm gonna rot in here forever."

Katarina heard feral screeching form outside her cell and decided that it was probably just Swain's raven chasing some smaller birds around.

"I highly doubt that." The general countered.

"Why's that?"

"You certainly are not looking out your window right now, are you?"

"No, I'm not," the assassin responded in awe, "how did you know?"

"Because if you were, you would see something very interesting."

Katarina immediately stood up, just in time to see a snowy white hawk fly in front of her window. She also noticed a hooded figure standing in the dark, empty street, who was holding a painfully familiar bow crafted from sheer ice.

"Ashe?" Katarina whispered disbelievingly.

Before she could even blink, an arrow cut through the air, hit one of the steel bars on her window, and covered it in a solid layer of ice. More arrows followed, until all the bars were frozen.

"She came here to save me!" Katarina exclaimed.

She looked back at the archer, and when she realized what Ashe was doing, she only barely managed to duck before a huge crystal arrow slammed into her window and shattered the frozen bars.

Katarina was finally free. It took her a moment before the realization hit her, but when it did, it felt amazing. Her heart started racing and she felt a strong surge of energy, which she'd lacked for the past few weeks. Before she could climb out of the window, she noticed that Ashe was shooting again, only this time in a slightly different direction. Katarina felt slightly bewildered by what the archer was doing until it dawned on her – Ashe was breaking Swain out too.

When another huge arrow crashed into the other window, Katarina decided to crawl out. The window was small, but thanks to the awful prison food she'd lost some weight and had no problem getting out. She was holding on tightly, examining the surface of every stone with her fingers before she made another cautious step. Despite how excited she felt about seeing Ashe again, she climbed towards Swain's cell first.

"Swain, are you going?" she asked him.

"I don't think that is a good idea," he replied.

"What? Why not?" Katarina didn't understand.

"Because a man of my age with only one good leg would have a problem climbing down that wall."

"Oh, come on, you can turn into a giant bird and fly!"

Swain chuckled. "No, Katarina, I believe I have to stay here. There is one more fight ahead of me."

She was completely confused by his words, but she decided to leave the general to his own devices and started carefully climbing down. The stones were treacherous and slippery, so she had to cling to every crack in the wall. She was out of shape and needed to take a deep breath before each step. She felt like the climb lasted an eternity. By the time she reached solid ground again her whole body was shaking and her fingers were going numb.

She ran over to where she'd last seen Ashe, but there was no one there. Not even a trace of the white haired archer. Now, the assassin felt absolutely dumbfounded. She looked for the Freljordian a bit more, circled around the dark, empty streets, but her efforts yielded no results. Moments later, she was ambushed by a pair of guards, but she quickly defeated them, took their swords and one of their horses and started her journey back to the Institute.

* * *

The journey took Katarina the least time than ever before. She pushed the horse to its limits and stopped only to eat and sleep. She stole food from local farmers and every night built a primitive shelter for herself. On the evening of the fifth day since her departure from Noxus, Katarina saw the Institute of War in the distance, its tall towers majestically posed against the setting sun. The town surrounding it was swarming with life as ever, though the people were already slowly settling in for the night. Katarina noticed that her horse was tired from the quick pace of their travel, so she led it the the town's stables, where it could rest through the night. The stables' owners protested at the beginning, but with the right combination of threats and promises of reward, Katarina was able to change their minds.

The falling darkness provided Katarina with the cover she needed to sneak back into the Institute unseen. She entered her room for the first time after more than a month. A lot had changed in there; it had been tidied up. All of Katarina's belongings were in their place, or at least where someone had thought their place had been. There was also a soft, lingering scent in the room, and the Noxian soon recognized it as Ashe's. Katarina headed to the bathroom first - she knew how badly she needed a bath. The assassin spent more than an hour sitting in hot water, washing off all the filth from prison, all the dirt from her travel. The water soon got filthy too, and she had to change it three times before she felt that both her body and her long hair were completely clean. Then she needed to clear her mind, too. She closed her eyes and let herself relax in the bath, letting the hot water wash away all of her stress and restless thoughts. When she finally emerged from the tub, she felt exhausted, but in a good way. She felt like a wanderer coming home from a long journey, as if she'd been running for too long but now had finally found peace and was able to lay down her burdens, to lower her defenses. She shot one final glance at the discarded pile of her clothes on the ground and she judged that the ruined shreds of fabric were being held together only by all the sweat, blood, and dirt they were soaked with. She threw them away and then she curled up on her bed, which now seemed very warm and soft, compared to a Noxian prison cell. She was so overwhelmed by the idea of coming back that she fell asleep in less than five minutes, and the most important thought still hadn't occurred to her – where was Ashe?

Katarina woke up late in the morning, feeling more relaxed than she had for weeks. Her mind must have subconsciously registered where she was, because she knew it before she opened her eyes. Still in a dreamlike state, she reached out for something familiar, someone she used to share her bed with, but found only an empty space instead.

"Ashe?" she called out, but no one responded.

She slowly got up from the bed and everything came back to her.

"Oh, fuck!"

Katarina got dressed and went to her bathroom, she washed her face and eyes with cold water to wake up completely. She needed to think. She knew that she should talk to Ashe, but she didn't know what to say. Should she thank her for rescuing her? Should she apologize for what she had done before she went to Noxus? She knew she'd have to do both, but she didn't know how - she couldn't find the right words.

The assassin hastily left her room and headed straight towards the Freljordian wing of the Institute. She stopped in front of Ashe's door and knocked. Nothing happened. Katarina knocked louder, still no response.

"Ashe?"

No one answered. She tried knocking and calling the Archer's name one more time, but the result was still the same.

"Sinister Blade?" someone behind her asked, "What are you doing here?"

The assassin turned and saw a tall dark haired woman in the robes of an Ionian summoner.

"I was just looking for Ashe," Katarina said with a look of pretended innocence.

"All Freljordians went home for the summer solstice celebration. This wing of the building is completely abandoned."

Katarina stared at the woman in confusion.

"You didn't know that?" the summoner continued, "they do it every year."

"Yeah... I kinda didn't care before..." the assassin explained.

The other woman cleared her throat. "Anyways, I'm summoner Izara. You should come with me. Summoner Arlos is looking for you."

"I know you," Katarina replied, "you're on the council. How did you know I was here?"

"When I meditate," the summoner started, "I connect to the energy of other beings. That's how summoning works and it's also what helped me find you here."

"What does Arlos want from me?"

"I don't know, he didn't tell me."

* * *

Katarina entered the office and found that summoner Arlos was currently being yelled at by Zyra.

"Don't ask me where your health potions are!" she yelled, "I have no idea where they are!"

"If you could please calm down," the summoner said.

"I won't calm down, your people have been harassing me for the entire day, asking for something I don't have!"

"Can you tell me what exactly happened?"

"A week ago those damned Freljordians walked into my garden like they owned it and harvested all of my redberries," Zyra started explaining.

"That is very interesting," Arlos said in a tone that indicated that he was bored to death, "why did you let them?"

"They told me you told them to do it," the Rise of Thorns raised her voice again.

"I didn't."

"I know! I found that out when more of your trained monkeys came today, demanding more health potions, which I didn't have! I cannot supply the entire League if I lack the main fucking ingredient!"

"I shall look into it," the summoner said resolutely, "in the meantime, I'm afraid we have to put off several matches."

"Do as you want," Zyra growled as she left.

Summoner Arlos now focused his attention on Katarina: "I wanted to speak to you, Sinister Blade."

"What's going on?" the assassin asked curiously.

"A message from Noxus came this morning," the summoner stated, "it says that the High Command revoked your champion status."

"What?" Katarina was shocked, "What the fuck does that mean?"

"It means that you're no longer protected by the League of Legends," Arlos replied, "and you have until tomorrow to vacate your room."

Katarina couldn't breathe. She didn't expect anything like this, not even in her worst nightmares. In her entire life, there were only two places where she felt safe – her home in Noxus, and the Institute, and now she wasn't allowed in either of them.

She tried one last thing before giving up. "Wait, I can be a factionless champion!"

"That could be arranged," summoner Arlos said, "but because of your rather unpredictable mood swings, you would have to be under constant supervision."

"What? No fucking way!"

"I believe your recent incident with the Frost Archer says that you're potentially dangerous both to yourself and to others."

"I am dangerous?!" Katarina raised her voice and slammed both of her fists into the summoner's desk. She never regretted a decision so quickly.

"I'll see myself out," she said quietly.

...

On the way to her room, she spotted Vi and Caitlyn, and she knew that they noticed her too. She quickly realized they wanted to talk to her about Ashe, but she didn't want to talk to them. She changed her direction in order to avoid them, but it was too late, they started following her. Katarina started walking faster, but so did they. She needed a new strategy. She kept changing her route in order to lose them. After a month in a Noxian prison, Katarina's memory of the Institute's treacherous hallways wasn't exactly the best, and she soon ended up cornered by Piltover's Finest. Surprisingly, Katarina was the one who spoke first.

"I guess I don't need to ask what you two want from me."

"We need to talk about Ashe." Caitlyn said.

"There's nothing to talk about." Katarina snarled.

"There is," the sheriff replied, "you hurt her. Very badly."

"She cried," Vi added, "she cried a lot."

"She was always good to you," Caitlyn continued.

"Too good," Vi added again.

"And she didn't deserve what you did to her."

"I know!" Katarina growled. She was once again forced to relive that night when she foolishly gave in to her fear and hurt the one she loved. She couldn't forget about it and she knew that she shouldn't. It was to serve as a reminder, so she would never do it again. But now, she could only feel her heart breaking again and tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Her voice broke. "What do you want from me?"

"Ashe deserves someone much better than you..." Caitlyn started.

"I know," Katarina whispered, barely suppressing her tears.

"...but she doesn't want anyone else."

"What?"

"Yeah, trust us," Vi replied, "we tried to set her up with someone, but she said no."

"What?!" Katarina repeated, more disbelievingly.

"Shut up, Vi!" Caitlyn interrupted, then she turned to the Noxian, "it's true, she doesn't want anyone else. I'm only telling you this. What you do with it is your decision."

Katarina returned to her room. She slowly sat on her bed and tears started rolling down her cheeks. She tried to choke back her sobbing, but she couldn't. She didn't know why was she crying. It might have been Ashe, it might have been Noxus, It might have been getting kicked from the Institute, or just the overall desperation of her life. Nevertheless, she decided to let it all out, curling up on her bed and crying into the pillow under her head.

She didn't know how much time passed when she got up again, but it was already getting darker. She looked around her room. They told her to vacate it, so that's what she'd do. For once she thought that she could fix her life by actually fixing something. She started going through all of her stuff, thinking about how much she could take before she'd leave that place. Most of her possessions were clothes and weapons, she had only few belongings with personal value. She took everything out of her closet, drawers, and hidden stashes of weapons. As she saw all of that around her, she wanted to cry again. Not only did she not know what to take with her and what to leave behind, she didn't even know where could she go.

Her gaze fell on the night stand on the other side of the bed, the one she never used. There was a thick book there, its title written in a decorative cursive. Katarina immediately recognized it – it belonged to Ashe, who hadn't ever let her read it, so Katarina referred to it as a "cheesy romance novel". Now the book piqued her interest again, but this time, there wasn't anyone here to stop her from reading it. As soon as she opened it, something small fell out. Katarina picked it up and looked at it, absolutely confused. It was a throwing knife of a simple Noxian design, the one she used to save Ashe's life a long time ago. She once believed that Ashe used it to frame her for murder, and yet it was here. Ashe had been using it as a bookmark all these years.

"I'm so fucking dumb," Katarina muttered to herself.

Now that she held the book open in her hands, she slowly started reading the very first sentence her gaze fell upon.

_„When you love someone, you show the best of you. Not only to them, but to the entire world. And the more you love them, the more your best side becomes your regular self, and that is how love changes you for better. It's not the love you get, but the one you give."_

A sinlge tear drop fell on the page and left a little wet stain under Katarina's fingers. She had to wipe her eyes, she was so overwhelmed by her feelings she didn't even feel it.

She felt that she had to keep reading. A few sentences in, it was clear to her what kind of romance it was – a story where one woman falls in love with another. Something Ashe would read only if she had feelings for her, so Katarina now had the final proof. But there were other things too - the poro-shaped pillow that Ashe slept on. It was also a gift from the Noxian. And Ashe's favorite childhood book, now placed on Katarina's table. The assassin made a decision. She had to go to Freljord and take all these things back to Ashe. She didn't care what would she do after that, but this simple mission became her only goal, her only motivation.

She quickly started packing. Her largest bag was not big enough to take everything that she wanted to, so she only took things belonging to Ashe; her own were replaceable. There was still a lot of Ashe's stuff in her room, a few books and some clothes, and she took it all. On top of that she packed her warmest clothes, she knew that it would be much colder in Freljord. When she had everything, she left the room. She felt overwhelming sadness and nostalgia as she was closing the door behind her, for maybe the last time ever.

As she was exiting the Noxian wing, she ran into LeBlanc.

"Katarina, it's good that you're here. I need to talk to you."

"What? Why?"

"You need to tell me what happened in Noxus."

"Why would I do that?" Katarina didn't even wait for an answer, she just kept walking.

"I need to know what happened to Swain," LeBlanc was trailing after her.

"Fuck off, I'm leaving." the assassin spat.

"Oh, really?" the mage smirked, "and where are you going?"

"That's none of your fucking business." Katarina growled.

"I was wondering if you're not by any chance going to Freljord," Leblanc smirked, "in which case I could offer you a very interesting piece of information, but only if you tell me what I want to know."

Katarina turned around. "You're such a bitch."

"I believe that's a quality we both share," LeBlanc said, "now spill it out."

"Swain's plan failed," the assassin started, "we were captured and then..."

"I already know about that," the Deceiver interrupted, "tell me what happened after that. How did you escape? How come Jericho didn't come back with you?"

"Ashe saved me," Katarina said, "she actually wanted to save Swain too, but he decided to stay in his cell."

"That idiot! I have to get him out!"

Katarina could swear that was the first time she saw LeBlanc show real human emotions.

"How do you plan to do that?" she asked the Deceiver.

"I don't know yet," LeBlanc said, "I'll go to Noxus and I'll think of something."

"He didn't go when he had the chance, why do you think he'll go with you?" Katarina asked.

LeBlanc shot her a glance people usually reserved for the actions of a particularly dumb kitten, before she turned around and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Katarina grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her back.

"I told you my part, now tell me yours!" she growled at the mage.

"While you were gone," LeBlanc started, "the Avarosan tribe and the Winter's Claw formed an alliance against the Frostguard."

Katarina stared at her with the expression of utter confusion.

The Deceiver sighed. "Ashe and Sejuani joined their forces against Lissandra."

"And? That's all?"

"No," LeBlanc continued, "while they'll be celebrating the solstice together, Sejuani plans to ambush Ashe and crown herself as the queen of Freljord. Then she would defeat Lissandra and be the only ruler in the country."

Katarina grabbed the other woman by shoulders and shook her. "What? How's this possible? How do you even know this?!"

"You know that I have my sources, Katarina."

By the look on the assassin's face, LeBlanc judged that this explanation wasn't good enough.

"One of them overheard it from a group of Sejuani's summoners," she said, "they were planning the attack, and I know that they have something sinister in store for Ashe."

"I need to go," Katarina said resolutely, "I need to save Ashe!"

She stormed out of the Institute and strolled through the town looking like she could kill with just a glance. Everyone who saw her quickly got out of her way. When she came to the stables to pick up her horse, she noticed that the owners had taken good care of the animal. It looked much cleaner, healthier and happier than when she had arrived. Katarina paid the owners about half the amount of gold she took from the Institute, which was probably more than they had seen in their entire lives.

She got on the horse and left the town, not once looking back, knowing that she would most likely never return.

* * *

**Author's notes: As usually, this chapter took me way too long to write, and now I don't even have a proper excuse! :D**

**Maybe just being way too hyped about the new season of _The 100_. And of course, constantly thinking about my girlfriend. And yes, I have to mention her, because she makes me so happy. :D**

**Anyway, please let me know what you think about my latest chapter, I would really love to know how you liked it. And I hope you still enjoy this story.**

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**This chapter was completed thanks to my beta reader, Creator0fWords**


	17. Chapter 17: Lost and Found Again

Author's notes: Hello, my dear readers, I'm really sorry that it took me this long to finish this chapter, but I had a lot of stuff to deal with. Considering that it's so long since I published the last one, I highly recommend rereading the entire story before starting this chapter. Also, I now from tumblr that most fanfic writers hate when their fans ask them about the next update, but I obviously need it. So whenever you think I'm writing too slowly, feel free to tell me to hurry up ;)

Also, I'm looking for a new beta reader. I don't think I need help with my style, but I'm well aware that my english isn't exactly the best. So, if any of you are up to the task, just tell me. :)

So, here's the chapter, enjoy it and please let me know what you think, I love reading your reviews :)

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Chapter 17: Lost and Found again

Katarina left the Institute a week after the Freljordians did, well aware that she would have to make up for the lost time. She was relying on her resolve and the swiftness of her horse. She also knew that a lone rider could be much faster than several hundred people traveling together.

She had ridden off without hesitation, not looking back even once at the tall white towers and the life she was leaving behind.

Now, several days later, she was still certain that she had made the right choice. She was racing north across the endless green fields stretching out in front of her as far as her eyes could see. Fields that had witnessed countless battles between Noxus and Demacia, the most recent of them only a few years ago. Katarina knew; she remembered it. And she was reminded soon enough, when she was passing by the ruins of a burned down village. No one had dared to rebuild it, maybe for the fear of the ghosts residing there. It was just left there as a reminder of where an army crossed the land, scarring it, consuming everything in its wake. Yes, wars did scar the land, as much as they scarred those who fought in them. Katarina knew that too, though for a long time she tried to hide that truth, even from herself. She had kept telling herself that she needed to be strong, strong for Noxus, strong for her family, strong for her little sister who still needed her after their father had disappeared and their mother had died soon after that. So she was strong, even though she had not yet understood what being strong truly meant. She had kept bottling her feelings until it turned her into a bitter and angry woman, who believed that she was beyond redemption.

But then something happened. Some twists and turns of destiny had brought her together with a gentle, kind-hearted, and smart woman, who saw something more in Katarina... so the assassin allowed herself to see it too. She let herself feel again. Everything she had been suppressing quickly came back to her, overwhelming her and bringing her to tears. And now she truly knew what it meant to be strong. It meant betting everything on the slim chance that she would reach Freljord before the solstice, and an even slimmer one that Ashe would want her back.

She slipped by the line of fortifications surrounding the lands closest to the Institute with ease, as she always had, and then headed north. There were many roads connecting the Institute town with the rest of the world, but none of them led directly to Freljord. They were heading to small towns and villages, then larger towns and then the other city-states. Katarina decided that the direct route would be best. The beginning of her journey was peaceful, crossing the vast green plains bathing in the early summer's bright sunlight. The countryside was mostly devoid of people, save for the occasional farmers working the fields or even rarer merchant caravans. They were often heading east or west, packed with food, wine, and other goods to sell, or returning from their journey with the profit. Katarina would often sneak up to them to inspect whether they were carrying food, and if yes, to steal some for herself. She still had some supplies from the Institute, but she knew that food would be much harder to come by in the forests further north, or in the frozen mountains of Freljord.

As she rode on, it seemed to her that the plains were going on endlessly. The days were bright, the nights short and warm. Katarina could ride for hours even after the sun had set, and lay down to rest under a cloudless starry sky, curling up in soft thick grass. It wasn't very comfortable, but compared to the nights she had spent in the Noxian prison, it was almost a luxury. But the further north she went, the more clouds appeared in the sky. The wind became stronger as the days went by, the grass got rough and thinner - not at all comfortable to sleep on. After six long days of her journey, Katarina left the safety of the loosely populated countryside and entered a dark forest north of the plains. She didn't slow down, not even for a second, no matter if it was rain that whipped her face, or low hanging tree branches. She was still on Noxian territory, so she kept off the guarded trade routes in case she ran into an armed patrol. She knew she could defeat a few footsoldiers, but she was in a hurry. She needed to save the love of her life.

The thick branches overhead were shrouding the woods in a veil of shadows that made it much harder to navigate through the forest. Katarina was afraid that her horse would trip, but the animal didn't fail her. After a while, her eyes had adjusted to the darker environment and riding through the woods wasn't so dangerous anymore.

Two days later, Katarina ran out of the supplies she had packed in the Institute, and had to rely completely on stealing. She knew she still had some of the gold, but she wanted to keep it as a last resort.

She snuck into a small village not so far from the Demacian border, as she had done many times before. She wasn't surprised to find the village full of people; the day was bright, the sun was shining, and everybody wanted to enjoy the first days of the summer. Katarina was afraid someone might recognize her, so she tried to mask her identity as best she could. She tied her hair into a ponytail and wore a long light coat with a hood. It also helped hide her scar, and her bright green eyes.

She was an assassin - she knew how to disappear in a crowd of strangers, how to hide in plain sight whether she was in a crowded square or an empty alley. She knew that a skilled assassin could become practically invisible. She had learned some of those skills in the academy, but much more from her father. He had taught her not only to disguise her appearance, but also her posture and how she walked and moved, her voice and the way she spoke, and the way she looked at the world. Those were the things that made her who she was, so to become someone else, she had to learn to change them.

And now she walked unnoticed and unrecognizable among her own countrymen in the middle of a busy market square, where people from the village came to trade, talk, and listen to news from the world.

It felt strange to her, being there. Noxus had officially declared Katarina a traitor and put a bounty on her head. And there she was, free, not being arrested, not being accused, not being judged. At least not to her face. As she walked among the people, she thought she had heard some of them gossiping about her, so she snuck closer and leaned against a wall to listen.

"I've heard that the Sinister Blade escaped from prison," somebody said.

"Are we really safe now that the traitor's on the loose?" another voice asked and Katarina could feel her blood boil when she heard them call her a traitor.

"I don't think she really did it," a woman's voice said, "she could have been framed."

"She's a traitor," a man said, "she betrayed us and we should hang her the first chance we get."

_Feel free to try,_ Katarina thought as she clenched her fingers around the hilt of one of her concealed blades. Unfortunately, she didn't have the time to deal with the gossips as she would like; she needed to resupply and be on her way to Freljord.

The town was full of people going on about their own business, so it was no trouble to Katarina to blend in. It seemed as if they were all oblivious to her, and the importance of her quest. They were selling freshly baked bread, vegetables from their own gardens, and salted meat that could last for weeks without spoiling. She planned on getting some of each; what she didn't plan on was paying for the stuff. Stumbling into people a few times and catching what they dropped left her with several days worth of supplies, which she then promptly stashed into her backpack and saddle bags. Then she went to the town one more time, just to make sure there was nothing more she could get there.

When she was elbowing her way through the thickest crowd, a child tried to steal her purse. She grabbed him by the arm and twisted it painfully, then she slapped him so hard he fell on the ground. The boy could not have been older than twelve, Katarina thought. He stared at her with huge eyes filled with terror. His attempt to steal from her wasn't that bad, she realized. It was fast enough, just too clumsy. Good enough to steal from local merchants, but not one of the most infamous Noxian assassins.

She didn't know what to do with the boy, but she was sure some form of punishment was in order. Growing up, she had had her part in more than a fair share of mischief, yet she could get away with anything. If she had actually gotten away with it. It did not matter what her transgressions were, getting caught was truly being punished. That's how they did it in Noxus, that's how they had always done it in Noxus. But instead, she just shot the boy a death glare and said, "Next time be better."

She kept thinking about it as she was walking away. Katarina knew that just a few months ago, she would have been merciless, but now...

Her time in prison had changed her, she realized. The feelings of isolation and being locked in a small cell made her lose her edge, but so far she didn't know whether it was good or bad. Ever since she had become an assassin, she had only thought about herself as a weapon. And a weapon needs an edge, otherwise it becomes completely useless.

_We'll soon see,_ she thought.

In prison, she'd also had the time to reflect, to think about what she had done before, and what she had been doing with her life. And to stay sober for far longer than she could remember. She hadn't thought that would help her in any way, but it did. She felt stronger, she was able to think clearly, and for the first time in years, she truly knew what she wanted.

Walking around the market, she noticed that one of the town guards was watching her carefully. She attempted to disappear in the crowd, and when she looked back, the guard was no longer there. But the boy who tried to steal from her was suddenly in front of her, he pointed at the wall of a nearby house, so Katarina went to take a look. She quickly found what the boy wanted to show her.

It was a wanted poster, with her face on it, promising a large sum of gold to anyone who would have any information about her. Katarina could not help but chuckle, the portrait sketched on the poster didn't look much like her. Her famous scar was on the wrong side, and the poster had to state that she had red hair, because the portrait was done in black and white.

Still, seeing it made her wary. She scanned the market once more and found the guard who had been watching her before. He was pretending to watch over the merchant stands, but he kept looking around, as if to watch for unseen enemies all around him. That told Katarina that something was amiss. She studied the guard more closely - his armor was well made, too well for a common footsoldier, there was a crossbow slung across his back, and a longsword in an ornamental scabbard at his hip.

A longsword, when most common guards carried short blades.

She looked around herself.

There were others, similarly equipped soldiers, stalking across the rooftops of the town. The realization came quickly – the soldiers were an elite troop, dispatched to search for her. It made perfect sense. The High Command would send patrols to all towns and villages along the border, just in case she passed through one of them. It was just a matter of time before she fell into this trap. She felt surrounded, she felt like all sense of safety was stripped from her in an instant. She needed to run, to escape from this hopelessness and mortal danger.

But when she turned around, they were behind her. Two of them, heavily armored just like the guard that had been watching her. They were coming closer, with their swords in hands, so she drew her own blades as well. She took a step back as her enemies were advancing on her, and backed right into another one. She could feel his breath tingling the back of her neck. She was surrounded.

She took a deep breath and quickly teleported behind the soldier, slitting his throat instantly. One of the remaining two tried to attack her, swinging his sword viciously at her neck. Katarina decided to parry with her own blade, and she immediately came to regret that decision. She couldn't match the soldier's brute strength, nor the reach of the longsword. Her attempt to parry left her with a bleeding gash across her arm and pain in her wrist, so she knew she had to change the strategy. The next time both soldiers charged her simultaneously, she dodged both attacks with ease. She knew their heavy armor was making them slow, and she was using it to her advantage. She dodged another blow aimed at her head. She was much faster than them, and she wanted them to get exhausted. It was like dancing, dancing with the danger of death all around her, yet it only made her feel more alive. It was the only kind of dancing she had ever been good at.

It was working. Katarina noticed that her opponents were becoming slower and clumsier with each strike. She counterattacked, slashing across one of the soldier's thighs, her blade drawing blood. She unleashed a flurry of throwing knives at the other, to distract him while she finished off the first one. The other one charged at her again, she spun around and kicked the sword out of his hand. Katarina moved in to deliver the killing blow, but something slammed into her shoulder and she felt a pang of excruciating pain running through her body. There was a crossbow bolt sticking out of her flesh, and warm blood running down her shoulder. She looked around in confusion, scanning the area for enemies. She threw one of her knives roughly in the direction the bolt came from. Then, another one hit her, this time in the stomach. It was stopped by one of the blades concealed under her clothes, but the blunt force of the impact still sent her staggering. She turned on her heels and started running to safety, leaving the disoriented soldier behind her.

She fled the same way she came, and as she was about to mount her horse, a third crossbow bolt found her leg. Katarina knew she was being pursued, she could hear them following her in the distance. She realized she needed to hide, but she was hurt, and bleeding, and getting weaker and weaker with each drop of blood she lost. She kept looking back, watching out for her pursuers, and even when she wasn't looking back, she could still hear them getting closer. She drove her heels into the horse's sides to speed it up, and kept clutching the reins for dear life as she was fleeing through the forest. Her breathing was quick and shallow. Her heart was racing and the pain was becoming unbearable. Katarina knew she couldn't stop. Stopping would mean failure and failure wasn't an option, not now. She headed deeper into the woods in an attempt to get rid of her enemies, but she could still hear them getting closer. She tried to quickly change direction to confuse them, but it didn't work out as well as she expected. Instead she just kept heading north, or rather the direction she believed was north. Katarina realized one thing – she would be safe once she crossed into Freljord. During the time of peace, Noxian soldiers had no reason to cross the mountain pass separating the two countries. And that was exactly where she needed to go.

She knew it would take her several days, yet she had no other choice. Her wounds quickly reminded themselves to her with stings of excruciating pain and Katarina felt like she was about to black out. Soon after that, fear joined the pain. She looked around and realized she had no idea where she was. Ever since she set out on this heroic quest, she knew exactly where she needed to go and what she needed to do. It was the clarity of her objective that had been giving her strength, but now she was lost. Everything she wanted, everything she had fought for, was slowly fading away. She looked at her arm, still more and more of her blood seeping from her wound and dyeing the fabric of her sleeve red. Katarina was fainting, the pain and blood loss were taking their toll. She was losing focus and felt like the world around her was shaking. Everything was blurring, the noises, the colors, the blue of the sky with the green of the forest, the grey fur of her horse, the crimson of her blood. She could hear her quickening heartbeat, and with every beat the world faded away a bit more. Until she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore and everything went dark.

* * *

When she woke up, her first instinct was to scream, but her throat was too dry for that. She had no idea where she was, or how she got there, and her last memories were too blurred to tell her anything. She was lying in a bed made of furs, inside a small tent that smelled of dried blood and smoked meat. In the faint daylight shining through the tent's walls, she inspected her wounds only to find them treated and bandaged. She could not remember when it had happened, nor who had done it. She heard something move just outside the tent, so she reached for her weapons, only to find that they weren't there. She looked around and saw the belt with her blades on a wooden chest next to a pile of her ruined clothes. A dark shape blocked some of the light shining into the tent, and Katarina reached out to grab a blade, but they were too far away. The moment she tried to leave the bed, her entire body betrayed her, and all of her muscles started to ache.

The shape grew larger, reflected on the canvas wall of the tent, and Katarina shrunk back in the bed, trying to hide under the furs. She was in no shape to fight, and she was well aware of that. Her fears came to an end when an older woman entered the tent.

"Oh, you're finally awake!" She said.

"Who-..." Katarina tried to speak, but her throat was dry.

"Here, have some water," the other woman handed her a bottle. The assassin opened it and took a sip. The water was icy cold, but Katarina didn't mind, she needed the refreshment. She took another sip, and then finished the water in one go.

"Who are you?" Katarina asked.

"I'm a hunter," the woman said, "I live in these woods."

"Thanks for the water," Katarina said, "and the bandages and stuff, oh," she grunted in pain as she sat up, "but I really have to go now, I have some important stuff to do."

She slowly stood up, but immediately became lightheaded and had to sit down again.

"Careful now," the hunter said, "those who were shooting at you used poisoned weapons."

Katarina kept sitting and staring at her in silence.

"You're very lucky that I found you, you know? I keep a few homemade herbal antidotes at hand. I think most of the poison should be neutralized by now."

"I really need to go," Katarina said stubbornly as she tried to stand up again, this time collapsing onto the bed.

"You need to rest," said the hunter and helped Katarina tuck herself back into the bed.

The Noxian closed her eyes, though she doubted that she would be able to fall back asleep. She kept drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness. She had a fever and when she finally woke up, she was drenched in sweat. She slowly opened her eyes again and somehow knew that another day had passed since she blacked out. She sat up and her stomach growled. She hadn't even realized she had been hungry, up till now.

Katarina noticed that aside from her bandages, she was wearing only her underwear and an old, tattered shirt. The rest of her clothes were on the top of a large wooden chest, alongside her weapons. She rose from the bed and went through the pile of clothes, noticing that they were completely ruined. Luckily, there was another pile, next to the first one, that seemed to be prepared for her. The hunter's old clothes, Katarina judged by the way they looked. They were a bit too big, but warm and comfortable. After she put them on, she clumsily left the tent, and felt a new wave of pain with every step she took.

As she stepped outside, the bright daylight blinded her, and it took her a moment before her eyes adjusted. In front of the tent, Katarina saw the old woman warming herself at a fireplacebefore a large iron kettle full of steaming liquid. The hunter filled a bowl and handed it to Katarina.

"I made some soup," the hunter smiled, "but careful, it's still hot."

"Thanks," the assassin took the bowl and tried to smile back, but given her lack of experience in expressing emotions other than rage, it resulted in a rather horrifying grin. She cautiously examined the soup, there were pieces of meat and vegetables floating in it, but overall it wasn't that appealing.

Her stomach growled again. Katarina looked at the soup once more and raised the bowl to her mouth, burning her lips at the first attempt.

"Shit!"

"I told you something," the hunter said seriously.

Katarina sighed, she felt like a child who was being scolded, and she didn't like it. But she was careful the second time, slowly sipping the soup and when its warmth started spreading through her body, she felt like she was healed, all her pains and problems disappearing, though only for a few seconds.

"I would give you a spoon," the old woman said, "but I don't have any."

The assassin finished the soup, and then she took another bowl. After that, she felt warm, rejuvenated, and ready to continue on her way.

"I need to go," Katarina stood up, "where is my horse?"

"You need to rest," the hunter told her, "you shouldn't risk it, you're still not fully healed."

"Why do you even care about me?"

"Sit down and I will tell you."

"Fine," Katarina grunted and reluctantly obeyed.

"I didn't always use to live alone in these woods," the hunter started, "I grew up in a small town west from here. My mother was a healer, and I was supposed to be one as well, but I never quite picked up the skills. One day we were coming back from the market and we saw a tiny bird lying next to our doorstep. One of its wings was broken, the poor thing must have fallen out of his nest when he was trying to fly for the first time. We took him in and treated his wound. We took care of him and fed him. We watched him heal and grow stronger, and when the time was right, we set him free. He returned the next summer-I saw him perched on one of our windowsills. I noticed that he grew to be the strongest and most beautiful of all birds. He started building a nest there, and a family too. One day, I went out to water the flowers and I saw these three little eggs..."

"So I'm supposed to be the bird, right?"

Katarina interrupted her, and the hunter just nodded. The assassin groaned and rolled her eyes.

"If this story doesn't end with making an omelet, then you're really just wasting my time."

The hunter looked at her with surprise in her face and a bit of sadness, but Katarina didn't bat an eye to that.

"Must you be s-"

"Such an insufferable bitch?" Katarina interrupted her again, "Yeah, I do. It's a crucial part of my personality. And it's kinda my thing, now that I've given up alcoholism and promiscuity."

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, the older woman spoke up.

"I guess your snark is a sign that you're feeling better already. You can leave now." she said with disappointment present in her voice.

"Whatever," Katarina said and stood up to leave, "Have you seen my horse? A big, loud, smelly animal, really hard to miss."

"That way," the hunter pointed in a direction where bright daylight pierced the thick veil of forest surrounding them, "near the lake, really hard to miss."

Katarina scowled at her and walked away. She quickly found the lake, and her horse too. Its reins were tied to a wreck of an old fishing boat. She stopped to take in the scenery; the calm lake in front of her, so wide she almost couldn't see the other side, reflecting the deep green of the trees around it.

The wind on the lakeside was chilling, but not unpleasant. Katarina took a deep breath, trying to savor the moment. She felt content. For the first time in years she knew what she truly wanted. She felt clear, just like the water of the lake and her own reflection in it. It was like everything around her was real, whereas her life before, back in the Institute, was just a dream, an illusion. Except the time with Ashe - that was real too.

Far to the north, she could see the massive wall of mountain peaks covered in snow. There was a deep valley between the tallest pair of them, a pass to Freljord, the safest way to cross the mountains. It took her the entire day to get there. It was already getting dark by the time she arrived at the base of the mountains. The path was too steep and hard to see in the last light of the day, so she decided to wait till morning to make the climb.

She gathered some wood and made a fire to ward herself from the cold of the night, and went to sleep next to it huddled in blankets she had taken with her from the Institute. When she woke up, her fireplace was already cold, and the grass and plants around her were covered in droplets of dew that glittered in the dawn light. The summer had come even here, the snow in the pass was slowly melting and there were thousands of cold little streams running down the mountain side. Katarina reached for one of them, she put her palms together and let them fill with icy water. She drank most of it, then used the rest to wash the tiredness out of her eyes.

The day was sunny, the sky clear, not a cloud to be seen. It was a perfect day for the ascend ahead. Though it was visible now, the path was still too steep. Katarina had to dismount in some parts and lead the horse by the reins. The trip took her almost the entire day, it was late afternoon when she finally cleared the pass and felt the freezing northern wind on her face. She did it. She was in Freljord.

The country was different than what she remembered from when she had been there last, but a lot had changed since then. It was mesmerizing, the frozen beauty shining in the summer sun. It took her breath away, and for a moment she had to stop and gaze at the scenery around her.

She set out further north the next morning. The trip had left her exhausted, so she had decided to set camp there and then, and rest until the morning. The next day, the journey continued as before, through woods and mountains, getting colder and colder with each passing mile. Katarina was mostly following roads, it was easier than making her way through snow drifts. The country seemed strange to her. It was already summer, yet large parts of Freljord were still covered in snow and ice. It went like this for several more days. Katarina seldom saw other people going to the capital for the celebration. She never talked to them, but meeting them was reassuring - it gave her hope that she still had some time.

She traveled through villages and small towns, and though she didn't stay anywhere too long, she still had enough time to see the life and culture in all of them. Katarina knew that all the local tribes had been united under the Avarosan, yet she noticed that the villages still held onto their own customs and traditions.

Years in the Noxian army had taught Katarina to wake up before the dawn and go to sleep long after the sun went down. She spent entire days on the way, only stopping to sleep or resupply. She saw no signs or markers pointing in the right way towards the capital, so she kept heading north, hoping that she wouldn't miss it. But sometimes, the roads she followed didn't lead straight ahead, so she left them, hoping to shorten the journey. She ventured through hills and dark forests, across icy streams and snowy plains that glowed in the sunlight. She passed around frozen lakes that shone like mirrors, and beautiful frozen waterfalls. She saw ancient ruins, tombs and barrows of long dead queens, kings, and heroes.

One day, she was captured by a barbarian tribe. In her haste, she carelessly ran into one of their hunting parties. She didn't fight; there were too many of them. She decided she would escape later, and fighting them would only show them how dangerous she was, which would make her eventual escape much harder. However, as soon as they got her to tell them who she was and where she was headed, the barbarians became friendly. They shared their mead and fire with her, and even offered to escort her to the nearest village.

Once there, she decided it was the ideal place to spend the night. The local inn was closed early because of a drunken fight, so she had to look for shelter elsewhere. She tried to knock on several doors, but most of the people recognized her and refused to house such an infamous killer. But as she started to believe she was running out of possibilities, one family took mercy on her. A woman with two children offered her dinner and a bed, and Katarina gladly accepted. One of the children, a scrawny girl of twelve, kept staring at her. The other child was in his mother's arms the entire time. The dinner was turning awkward, and though Katarina didn't particularly mind the staring, it was becoming rude. The girl's mother noticed it too, and tried to save the situation.

"You're her hero," she said to Katarina.

A grin of contempt appeared on the Noxian's face.

"She should choose better heroes."

The girl's expression of awe immediately turned into one of pained shock, and she ran off to her own room right after she finished her meal. Katarina started feeling badly about it, and even more about herself. It didn't help when the girl's mother confronted her.

"She's young and naive," she said, "but I've seen through you. I know you're a piece of shit, but couldn't you at least pretend to be good for my daughter's sake?"

Katarina didn't know what to do, she had never been good with people. Noxus had taught her how to solve problems with violence, not with words, and definitely not with apologies. Yet she decided to talk to the girl and fix what could be fixed. She knocked on the door to the girl's room, and asked if she could enter. It took a while before she heard a faint "yes."

The room obviously belonged to a child. It was colorful and there were toys and drawings everywhere. There was a poster hanging above the bed, a poster of Katarina. The girl was sitting on the bed and sobbing quietly.

"Hey, kid," Katarina started, instantly getting the girl's attention, "I know that you want to have a hero, to believe in someone who is good and brave and always does what is right, but that person isn't me. I've made a lot of mistakes, way more than most people."

The girl was listening very closely.

"Nobody is perfect, there are no heroes," Katarina continued, "I know you must think that I'm really cool with my blades and stuff, but please, don't try to be me, or to be like me. I don't want anyone repeating my mistakes. Can you promise me that?"

The girl nodded eagerly, then asked something in a thin, meek voice, "Can you sign the poster, please?"

"Sure I can," Katarina winked at the girl and the girl smiled.

The next morning, the assassin was getting ready to depart and the girl with her mother came to see her off.

"Where are you gonna go?" the girl asked her.

"Straight ahead," Katarina said as she was saddling her horse, "I was told that the shortest way to the capital is north."

The mother and the daughter both turned pale as milk.

"You can't go north, there's a huge storm raging that way," the mother told her.

Katarina chuckled, "I'm not afraid of a storm."

"You don't understand, this isn't just any storm. You have to go around, there's a road from this village that will take you safely to the capital."

"I don't have time, I need to get there as soon as possible."

Katarina decided to ignore the other woman's advice and headed for the shortest way, not knowing what awaited her. She soon came to regret that decision, finding herself in the middle of an apocalyptic storm. The wind was so strong it felt like being slapped in the face again and again, the snow so deep she could sink into it and never emerge again. The clouds permanently darkened the skies, the blizzard covering over all her tracks with fresh snow, leaving her alone and confused and lost in the middle of a white inferno. Yet she could not falter, she knew that. There was no time to change the course, and no way out. So she pressed forward, on and on into the heart of the storm.

* * *

It was cold on the balcony, Ashe thought as she was looking over the preparations being made in the courtyard of her castle. The summer solstice celebration had always been a big thing, but this year, the capital of Freljord was hosting all of Sejuani's people, in addition to her own. Down below her, cookfires were being lit, tents were being raised, servants and cooks alike were carrying crates of food and rolling out barrels of ale, mead, and wine. Before the feast started, everything had to be in order; the food, the drinks, and, of course, the fireworks. Without them, the celebration would lose all of its magic.

The strong wind was chilling her to the bone, yet it was the loneliness that truly felt cold. Ever since she'd been born, Ashe had been raised to rule her tribe. She was not allowed to play with other children. Instead, she had been thrown into the strict and unforgiving world of adults a few years too early. She was taught to see the people around her as future subjects, who would show her respect instead of friendliness. She didn't like it at first, but after a few years she became used to it, and it became the default state. It wasn't until she joined the League, where she had met other rulers, heroes, and people who unapologetically saw themselves as her equals, that she had realized that something had been missing from her life. That was when she had felt the cold touch of loneliness for the first time in years. She had tried to fix it, and find some company among the many colorful characters of the Institute. But the greatest cold came only after she had felt the greatest warmth - the warmth of sharing her life with someone, of loving someone, even if that someone was an infamous Noxian assassin. And this cold was always with her. It remained the same here in the icy wind as it would be in front of a blazing fireplace.

"Queen Ashe," a not so unfamiliar voice interrupted her thoughts, "Sejuani wants to know if you'll be staying here during the feast."

Ashe knew that Sejuani would look for her sooner or later, yet she thought her former enemy would come herself, instead of sending summoner Ansii.

"I just wanted to be here for a moment," Ashe said, "it's so peaceful up here, and somehow also calming."

Ansii came closer and leaned against the railing of the balcony right next to Ashe, so close that their shoulders were almost touching, and for a moment the two women were looking over the courtyard together.

"It isn't very calming down there," said the summoner with a smirk, "no wonder you wanted to keep all the peace and quiet for yourself.

Ashe had to smile too, "It isn't like that. It's just that... I don't know how to explain it. I've always felt like this was my place, that this is where I belong."

"Sejuani is mad. She knows this alliance is necessary, but she's feeling a bit left out right now. This is your castle, your city, your people, and you're the queen here. She's only the second best. And she really doesn't like being the second best. But at least now she knows how I've been feeling all those years by her side."

Ashe gave the summoner a curious look.

"Don't get me wrong," Ansii continued, "she's a very good leader. Incredible during times of war - strong, tough, inspiring, exactly the leader who can get our tribe through war or winter. But now that we have peace, she seems to be a bit lost. Thankfully she distracts herself in the League, but otherwise it's always me handling the politics and diplomacy of the tribe."

"Well," Ashe said, "I hope it isn't too difficult."

"It isn't," Ansii smiled, "since your tribe embraced pacifism, it's only Lissandra making us trouble at the moment."

Ashe couldn't help herself but laugh.

"I should get back," Ansii said, "Sejuani will be looking for me. It was really nice talking to you."

"Summoner Ansii," Ashe called after her, "if you want to, you can come here with me after the feast, to watch the fireworks."

"That would be really nice," the summoner said as she was leaving.

Ashe looked to the sky. It had been cloudy ever since they had returned from the Institute, but now the sharp eastern wind was scattering the dark clouds. Ashe hoped the sky would be clear for the fireworks show, and so far it looked really promising.

She returned to her chambers. Her handmaidens had already prepared several dresses she could wear for tonight, but she couldn't bring herself to choose any of them. For a moment she wondered if this whole thing really was a good idea, if there was still time to cancel the feast and the alliance and the war plans.

_No, that would be impossible._

She sighed and picked a dark green dress that reminded her of the simple ones she used to wear in the Institute. She had to get ready. The feast was already starting.

* * *

Katarina took another step. She had to, she knew that. If she stopped, she would die. Yet every single step was more difficult than the last one. The snow was swirling down around her, falling endlessly from the shrouded sky, and Katarina hated it with all the strength that remained in her body. It was everywhere, and everything as far as she could see was covered in snow. Yet more kept falling, an unrelenting sheet of white. The world was painted in white and grey, and getting darker with every passing second, as night was slowly drawing drew near. But whether it was night or day, the snow didn't stop.

Katarina had been walking the entire day, and she knew that the worst part of the journey was behind her, but the thought of that didn't bring her any solace. The future still remained as unclear as it was the moment she had decided to ride into the storm.

Her horse had died earlier that day in the freezing heart of the storm. Or maybe it had been the previous day;it was impossible to tell time in the middle of a raging blizzard. Whether it had been the cold that had killed the animal, or the exhaustion, or maybe both, she also didn't know. The only thing Katarina had cared about in that very moment, was if she would be able to finish the rest of her journey on foot.

When the horse had collapsed under her and she was thrown from the saddle, she'd landed on something hard and sharp buried under the snow. She'd brushed the snow off and found that it was a corpse clad in ancient rusted armor, and that there were dozens of others scattered around.

She had to make a hard choice, a horse could carry far more weight than a person, and Katarina had to decide what to take with her and what to leave behind. The backpack was the most important one; Ashe's clothes and books that she'd left in Katarina's room were in it. She still had enough food, but she couldn't carry more than two portions. About the rest... There were the blankets, a good source of warmth she would surely need, but hard to transport.

As the storm was raging all around her, Katarina hid between two large rocks, where the wind wasn't bothering her as much, and used one of her knives to cut the blankets into stripes of fabric, which she then wrapped around her arms, legs, torso, and the lower half of her face.

That had been almost a day ago. Since then she had already left the storm, yet the clouds and snow still remained her companions. Her entire body was sore from endless walking, and she was completely out of food. She had eaten her last supplies while walking, knowing that she could not risk stopping and sitting down, for fear she would never rise back up again. From her last journey to Freljord, Katarina remembered what the soldiers had been saying about freezing to death. It hurts at first, as your body struggles to keep its warmth, and that's good, it means that you still have some left. But the pain urges you stop walking, to stop moving at all. When the pain stops, that's bad. The cold has numbed all of your senses, and moving would only bring back the pain. Death feels like a sweet release, urging you to accept it, to give up. But Katarina refused to give up, she was willing to fight with every fibre of her being, so she didn't stop, and the pain didn't stop either.

She took another step. She had no other choice, she could only go forward. She didn't know what day it was, or how much time she had left, and she was growing tired. The backpack was wearing her down, as was she layer of snow that had built up on top of it. Walking was getting harder too, she was stumbling on the rocks and tree roots hidden beneath the deep snow. Sometimes it felt like she was just dragging her feet behind her, other times she had to stomp her way through snow drifts that were up past her waist. With each step, she felt like it would be the last one. Her legs would give up, she would fall and let the snow cover her, and become just one more frozen corpse.

Yet she pressed on. She had to, to right the wrongs she had done, to say sorry and hope that she could be forgiven, to say all the words she had been holding in for so long. But most importantly, to save the love of her life. That was the only thing that mattered. With each step, she was reaching closer to her goal, but it didn't feel like she was. The snow eventually stopped, but the mountains were still all around her, and the woods looked all the same for the past few days, an unending frozen labyrinth.

A tall mountain ridge was rising in front of her, stretching out into the distance like an unbreachable barrier of stone and ice. Katarina knew she had to climb. Her entire body ached, and now even more so. Her arms and shoulders were hurting as badly as her legs already had before she started the climb. Every single muscle in her body was screaming in pain and begging her to stop, but she couldn't. Not now, not here. She needed to go, she had to do it, not for herself, but for Ashe. So she did. Every step hurt more than the one before. Every time she pulled herself up the frozen rocks, her body protested, but she didn't give up. Panting, she reached the top of the ridge, to see what was on the other side. A small shallow valley and an even higher ridge at the horizon.

Katarina clenched her teeth and took another step. Her feet were sinking deep into the snow, her boots were covered in icy crust, her breath was turning into frost on the piece of fabric tied around the lower half of her face.

The world was getting darker, the snow turning from white to grey, the sky from grey to black. Yet Katarina still carried on, one small step after another. Slow was the only way she could go, though it was agonizing. The world around her was barely passing by, yet time seemed to be flowing at a murderous pace. Her feet were getting heavier, and her knees weaker. She was shaking, her entire body was trembling, and she didn't know why or how to stop it. She finally got to the ridge and climbed over it, only to find another one behind it. There was no passage or short way around, she had to climb again. She had to, she knew she had no other choice but to make the climb. But she was tired, so tired. She kept moving forward, even though it was hard, and she was certain she had felt the highest amount of pain a person could feel without dying. Everything was hurting, every step and even every breath she took caused her more and more torment. She was crying, but the tears were freezing on her cheeks. And walking uphill was killing her. The mountains were covered by a thick white blanket, but the slippery icy rocks were still hidden underneath it. And then there was the wind, blowing sprays of snow and frost from the peaks above right into her face.

It felt like the hill would never end. Its peak became an unreachable goal. She was cold, and tired, and growing weaker and weaker. All around her were just snow, and ice, and mountains. She didn't know where she was or how far she still needed to go. It was night, the sky was black and empty, and icy wind was howling in the woods. All Katarina could feel was just pain. Everything else inside her was frozen.

She took another step. It felt like it would be the last one, but it wasn't. The wind was cutting through her like a knife made of ice, freezing her from the inside out. Her pace slowed down to a crawl, and each step took longer than the previous one. Her feet were so heavy, she felt like she couldn't drag them behind her anymore. Her knees were trembling, threatening to give up any second. But the peak was so close...

She had to stop before taking one more step, to take a deep breath and wait for a moment. The same thing happened after the next one, and the one after that. She knew it wasn't good, but she couldn't help it. She shook her head and tried to move forward. And then she fell. She fell down on her knees, she was so frozen and hurting that she almost didn't feel the impact. She had to stretch out her arms, or she would have plunged face first into the snow. She was breathing heavily, a white mist was rising from her mouth.

She was gazing toward the horizon and she knew she had to move, but at the same time she couldn't. She tried to stand up, but her legs were too heavy. She tried to reach for the mountain ridge, to grasp it, to pull herself towards it, but that was like a child's fantasy. She felt defeated and weak. So, so weak.

Her own body gave up, and there was nothing she could do. There was no hope, no way to save herself or the one she loved.

_I'm sorry, Ashe. I'm sorry I have failed you._

All of her thoughts were aimed towards Ashe. Katarina hoped that even without her, Ashe would find a way to save herself, to live a happy life, to succeed where Katarina could not. The world was dark, and still getting darker. Freezing, and still getting colder. Devoid of hope, and still getting more hopeless. She kept watching the distant starless sky, and the world around her was blurring.

But then she saw something rising over the horizon, soaring towards the sky and whistling on its way to the clouds, until it exploded and set the sky alight in a roar of bright red flames. Another one followed, a whistle and a roar, this time green. Millions of tiny flames reflected in the snow and Katarina was wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her.

_No. This has to be real._

There were more and more of them with each second, blue, red, orange, green, yellow. It felt as if all the colors that were missing from this icy wasteland returned to the world all at once. The sky was set ablaze, roaring flames were dancing among the clouds. It was like a promise of fire in the distance, of light and warmth. And life.

Katarina could feel a new wave of energy pouring into her veins. She scrambled to her feet and made her way to the top of the ridge. From there she could see a large valley surrounded by tall peaks, a city on the shore of a frozen lake, and a castle shooting fireworks towards the night sky. For a moment, she felt so full of joy and hope, she almost didn't know how to contain it.

The way down was steep, and Katarina had to be careful, though she wanted to run down as fast as she could. She stumbled a few times, and she even tried rolling down the hill and sliding down on her butt, only to get there faster. When she reached the main gate, nobody was paying her any attention. People were still pouring into the city by the hundreds.

Just past the gates, the barbarian tribes were encamped, huddled around their fires and drunk on mead. Covered in tattered pieces of fabric and snow, Katarina looked like she could almost be one of them. She sat next to one of their fires and used it to warm herself up. The heat brought back the feeling in her limbs, and feeling meant pain. When she was done, she lost all of the makeshift wraps. It was much warmer in the city. The buildings were warding off the wind and the accumulated mass of people was radiating heat.

She snuck her way to the castle, then past the gate and into the courtyard. She walked past servants carrying large trays of food, drunk guards and ones who were falling asleep, and loud barbarians drinking and yelling at each other. She got lost in the winding alleys and hallways inside the castle. She stumbled into the kitchens and left when the cooks started shouting at her. She entered the main hall, where one of the lesser tribe chiefs briefly mistook her for a servant. She quickly clarified who she was with a few death threats, and then continued searching for Ashe. Nobody stopped her from going wherever she wanted, it looked like every single person in the castle was drunk.

The search was proving futile. It felt like the queen had vanished from her own castle.

But then in one hallway, she saw signs of struggle, and a snowy trail leading to a terrace, so she followed. Once outside in the cold, she saw Ashe struggling with three men at once, who were trying to drag her off.

Even without her bow, the queen was far from helpless. She kicked the largest man in the groin and he went down in an instant. Yet it only made the other two hold her harder and tighter, so she couldn't do it again. Katarina knew this was her time so strike. She quickly counted her blades - she had only three throwing knives and one longer dagger left, the others lost to the storm. She threw the knives at one of the attackers, hitting him in the shoulder. The other one charged at her with a spear.

Katarina dodged and slashed at his thigh, then at his side and neck. She grabbed the spear and threw it at the first one, who had already recovered, then finished the second one with a single precise strike of her dagger. Then she had to look back at Ashe. She didn't know what to say.

Apparently, neither of them did. Ashe was just standing there, staring at her with those beautiful blue eyes, an expression of shock and confusion on her face.

"Katarina?"


End file.
